Knox Magazine - Summer 2019

MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

SA

OE D W O H

E?

EG L L O C NTO

TI E G E WHAL ULLY.)

(CAREF

Tianna Cervantez ’06, Director, Intercultural Life 4

3 5

BREA CUNNINGHAM

The Office of Intercultural Life has a new home in Knox’s newest addition to campus, the HOPE Center (it stands for House of Peace and Equity). For students, it already feels like home. “We were concerned it would be a challenge to get students to come over here,” says Cervantez, “but within a few days, we had students asking us, ‘When are you going to start having the space open for study hours?’ ‘When can we use it for events?’”

Cervantez serves as a mentor, sounding board, advocate, and advisor for students navigating the myriad challenges of college life, from homesickness to feeling overwhelmed by the workload, from worrying about finances to wondering where they fit in within the larger Knox community. As a former Knox student, she can identify. “Probably the hardest part of taking this position was getting used to that shift of perspective. For a while, I felt like I really had to prove myself.”

Welcome to her office.

Open Door 6

1

2

1. Family photos. There are still a few empty shelves and empty walls in Cervantez’s office—she’d been there about three weeks when we visited, and had already hosted several events—but there are an array of family photos in view no matter which direction she turns. “I’m the oldest of six. I was a first-generation student, but growing up, it wasn’t a conversation about if college was a thing, it was about when. I like to have the reminders of who supported me through that journey.”

2. Books. Her shelves include textbooks from her own college days— “A lot of my work was around interpersonal violence and community violence”—as well as volumes that inspire her. “My family said they’re not moving my books anymore because this is just a small, small part of my collection.”

3. Plaque that reads, KEEP CALM AND GRADUATE. “My aunt picked it up and brought it in. So many time, students are coming into my office stressed or frustrated or overwhelmed with what’s going on, and so I think it’s just nice to have it sitting there and remind people, “Keep calm, you’re here for a reason—to earn that

degree so that you can take everything that you’re building here and use it in the world.”

4. A Mexican doll in a vibrant green-and-red crocheted dress.

“I received it after high school graduation. It’s a piece of a cultural identity that I wasn’t always comfortable owning, growing up in a mixed-ethnic household. I don’t speak Spanish. We don’t always cook cultural food, but it’s a reminder that, yes, I am part of that community.”

5. Her diplomas. “They’re not on display because I think it’s important for students to know where I graduated from, but to show them that as a first-generation student I met with success, and that with hard work, hopefully they will be able to as well.”

6. A birthday gift from her son. “I brought it to work because it’s a good reminder to know that part of the reason you’re here is that you had a dream and you’re trying to follow that dream. All the hard work, all the struggle, all the sacrifice, you are achieving something that’s your dream, your and your family’s dream.”

MAGAZINE VOLUME 103, ISSUE 1

Summer 2019

The Curriculum Issue With the start of the 2018–19 academic year, Knox debuted its first curricular changes since 2002. Get an overview of what’s new, what’s different, and what it means for the next generation of Knox students.

Page 6

A Whale Comes to Knox

Departments

It’s not often that students at a prairie college have the opportunity to work with the skeleton of the second-largest marine mammal.

Under Professor Nick Gidmark’s guidance, they’re creating a museum-quality display.

Page 8

Beyond the Books: “Real-World” Lessons in Spanish

Open Door

Inside front cover

2 East South Street

Page 4

The South Lawn

Page 21

Knox Writes

Page 36

Class Knox

Page 39

Parting Shot

Inside back cover

The new curriculum’s increased focus on experiential learning is changing the way students learn in every discipline. For Spanish students, that means taking on challenging work assignments serving native speakers of the language.

Page 12

The Jerusalem Question(s) The status of Jerusalem is one of the Middle East’s longest-running disputes. Last winter, a group of Knox students traveled to Israel to hear both sides of the story and see the places so many have fought and died over.

On the cover: Students maneuver the lower jaw of a 55-foot fin whale down the staircase to the basement biology lab of the Sharvy G. Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center. Photo by Peter Bailley ’74

Page 16

Editors Pam Chozen Cheri Siebken

Contributors, Writing & photography

Special thanks to Lori Reed, Jennifer Gallas, and Megan Clayton.

Peter Bailley ’74

Knox Magazine is published twice yearly by the Office of Communications, Box K-233, Knox College, Galesburg, IL 61401-4999; Phone: 309-341-7760; Fax: 309-341-7718; Email: knoxmag@knox.edu.

Adriana Colindres layout dEsignErs Becky Hale Ami Jontz

Brea Cunningham Steve Davis Tricia Duke ’19 Shruti Mungi ’19

It is distributed free of charge to Knox alumni, students, parents, and friends.

The magazine welcomes information and story ideas. Please query before submitting manuscripts.

ISSN: 0047-3499 Visit us online at magazine.knox.edu.

Bright Lights, Big City Photographer Emma Fabert ’20 captures the mood of the city on a rainy evening during Knox in New York, a shortterm immersive program that combines an art history course and studio work in the fall with a two-week travel component to New York City during winter break. After the trip, students came back to Knox to create artwork inspired by their experiences.

Editor’s Note

Letters to the Editor

Turning the Page

M

any things have happened since you last opened your mailbox to find a copy of Knox Magazine inside, not least of which were the departures of former editor Megan Scott ’96 and longtime magazine writer and photographer Peter Bailley ’74 from our communications team.

EVAN TEMCHIN ’10

As we finally begin to welcome new staff (Steve Davis, long-time photographer for the Galesburg Register-Mail, just joined us in June, but you’ll see a few examples of his work in these pages) and redistribute assignments among the rest of our team, we are hopeful that the magazine will soon return to a regular schedule.

Back in 2017, when I read through 100 years of the magazine for our centennial issue, two things struck me: First, Class Notes has always been one of the most reliably interesting sections of the magazine. Second, the magazine has been published, at one time or another, in every month of the year, and though this current issue is undeniably late, it is not the latest of all time. (I believe the record stands at 18 months between issues.)

So thank you for your patience, and thanks especially to our class correspondents, who you should know submitted their columns back in January, on time as usual. Feel free to share your more recent news with them, or with us. Like you, we always look forward to reading it.

Tardily yours, Pam Chozen

Hail to Knox (Magazine) In style and substance, the most recent Knox Magazine is the best I can recall.

The feature topic choices were exceptional. Please pass on my appreciation for a great job.

—Tom Anderson ’66

Corrections The painting of Auxiliary Gym and Old Main on p. 8 of the fall issue is the work of Fletcher Summa ’18, not Shifa Dandia ’20, as was listed.

A photo of Phil “Cro” Singer misidentified him as a member of the Class of 1977. He is a member of the Class of 1976.

Send us your letters!

Knox Magazine welcomes the opinions and comments of its readers. Write to the Editor, Knox Magazine, Box K-233, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 614014999, or email knoxmag@knox.edu.

Letters should refer to material published in the magazine and may be edited for length or clarity.

4

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

2 East South Street From the President College Closures: Cause for Alarm?

L

ately, the media are full of alarming accounts of college closures, beginning a few years ago with Sweet Briar in Virginia and continuing recently with Green Mountain in Vermont. Many predict more closures ahead, particularly in the Midwest and the Northeast, where the trends show a significant decline in college-bound youth. Not surprisingly, these predictions prompt our Knox alumni to ask if the same fate lies in store for Knox.

Within the nonprofit sector, some schools marketed themselves to a niche that was, ultimately, too small, sometimes designing their entire curricula around a theme, such as sustainability, or around a profession, such as chiropractic or studio art. In addition, many small faith-based institutions have lost enrollment as the number of Americans who identify with a particular religious denomination has fallen off in recent years.

Knox, with a broadly based liberal arts curriculum and programs that embrace students from many religious traditions, has maintained a wider base from which to recruit. The small nonprofits that have closed also often had significant vulnerabilities, such as endowments under $10 million (compared to Knox’s $160 million), or enrollments below 200 students, so low that they could not achieve economies of scale (compared to Knox’s 1300-1400 range).

KENT KRIEGSHAUSER

The media accounts don’t always differentiate between nonprofit schools like Knox and for-profit, career-focused institutions, where the vast majority of closures have occurred. While many predicted that the for-profit sector would be more nimble, it quickly became overcrowded. Some schools, focused on recruiting veterans and low-income students, failed because students were unable to find the promised jobs and defaulted on their loans. (Knox, in contrast has an extremely low default rate, and 95 percent of our graduates begin paying on their loans within five years of graduation.) Ironically, the career focus of many of these for-profit schools also meant their markets shrank as unemployment rates declined.

Despite relentless criticisms of the very concept of a liberal arts college, I see the momentum swinging back in our favor, as the pace of technological change now favors graduates with the traditional liberal arts skills of critical thinking, communication, and capacity for independent research and analysis. Knox also anticipated recent demographic changes by significantly expanding its recruiting efforts. While Illinois remains our largest supplier of new students, a sizable number now come from California and Colorado. Beyond the U.S., Knox recruits in more than 50 countries.

That said, the demographics are indeed challenging, creating intense competition for every student, which in turn drives down net tuition revenue. To compensate, we must work hard to control costs, maintain our educational quality, and offer the academic programs and student support services that prospective students and their families expect. And we have to outrun our competition in all those arenas.

How can you help? First, recommend Knox to your friends and family members with college-bound children. Your experiences are the best advertisement possible. Second, give back to the College; a strong tradition of alumni support helps to build our national reputation as well as fund financial aid and scholarships. Finally, come back to campus. You’ll see that our community and our curriculum are as vibrant, relevant, and powerful as ever.

—Teresa Amott

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

5

THE CURRICULUM ISSUE More than 180 years after the College’s founding, Knox faculty and administrators take a fresh look at the elements of a liberal arts education

BY PAM CHOZEN

or more than a century, the Yale Report set the standard for what a liberal arts curriculum should include. Students should study rhetoric, logic, composition, and history (preferably through the study of ancient Greece and Rome). They should gain a basic understanding of the physical sciences, mathematics, humanities, and art. Most importantly, they should use this knowledge to become better citizens, knowledgeable of both their own rights and their responsibilities toward others.

A liberal, is obviously distinct

In practice, while the goals of a liberal arts education remain the same—to teach students how to think critically, write and communicate clearly, and solve complex

from a professional, education. problems—Knox’s liberal arts curriculum continues to evolve to address the changing

A liberal education is fitted to needs of the students it serves.

occupy the mind, while its powers are opening and enlarging; a

At the start of the 2018–2019 academic year, Knox debuted its first curriculum updates since 2002. Here are four things that have changed.

professional education requires an understanding already cultivated by study, and prepared by exercise for methodical and persevering efforts.

—“Reports on the Course of Instruction in Yale College,” 1828

6

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

1. “Experiential learning” is no longer a specific requirement, because it’s ideally a part of everything students do.

There’s wide consensus among academics that one of the most effective ways to build analytical and problem-solving skills is to give students opportunities to put those skills to use in real settings. Prior to this year, the “experiential learning” requirement was intentionally broad and not necessarily even a formal academic experience—volunteer work or a campus or summer job also qualified.

With the new curriculum, students are encouraged to have as many of these opportunities as possible. To meet the new “active inquiry” requirement, students are encouraged to take an

immersion term, choose from a growing list of courses that include an immersion component (see the pages that follow for a few new examples), or take on independent research.

Internships, community service, and study abroad are still considered “active inquiry” as well. Further, to ensure that every student has the means to pursue active inquiry, each will receive a $2,000 Power of Experience Grant in their junior or senior year to help pay for travel and living expenses or equipment and supplies.

2. The foundation of an effective liberal arts education encompasses more than general education coursework.

The new curriculum divides what used to be known as “Foundations” into two new categories: First Year Experience and Elements.

The focus of First Year Experience is to offer more guidance for students as they transition to college, especially first-gen students. Think of it as orientation that lasts for a full year. Perhaps the best place to see this change in action is in Knox’s new living-learning communities. A group of 16 students lives together in the same suite and takes the same First-Year Preceptorial section with faculty members who plan additional activities and conversations with the group throughout the entire academic year. The goal is to build a stronger connection between students and their advisors and to create a real community that not only studies the same material together but acts as a support network.

On the academic side, the new curriculum turns the focus from completing specific courses to developing specific skills: learning to communicate in a second language, learning to make art, learning to conduct scientific research, learning to analyze human behavior within a social context.

3. Civic engagement must be a fundamental part of a liberal arts education.

From its founding, Knox College has always been deeply engaged in matters of the world outside. Its original Circular and Plan announced its opposition to slavery in all forms and its commitment to ensuring opportunities for all qualified students, regardless of their financial means. Even today, Knox’s mission statement describes the institution as “a community of individuals from diverse backgrounds challenging each to explore,

understand, and improve ourselves, our society, and our world.”

In that light, the addition of a formal civic engagement requirement to the curriculum is simply a continuation of that ethos. Students will be asked to explore questions of power and inequity from the perspectives of different cultures as well as to investigate the effects of collective action and the social consequences of technological and scientific advances.

Because these are issues that affect every academic discipline, there are no specific courses required. Instead, students will work with their advisors to identify courses within their major that explore these topics. They can also fulfill the requirement through community service, study abroad, or an internship that focuses on social responsibility.

4. Times change—and so do majors.

According to faculty and administrators who were part of the process, the new curriculum is more an affirmation of practices that already existed at Knox rather than a wholesale renovation. The most noticeable changes are probably the introduction of the bachelor of science degree option for nine STEM fields, which adds additional science coursework to prepare students for graduate programs in the sciences and future scientific careers. The curriculum also re-introduces the business and management major—long the most popular minor at Knox—as well as new minors in peace and justice studies and archaeology.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

7

8

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

A WHALE

COMES TO KNOX (And a Fox, Opossum, Hawk, Owl, Seagull, Dog, Dolphin, and Seal)

BY CHERI SIEBKEN

Galesburg, Illinois, located approximately 1,000 miles from the nearest ocean,

T

he skeleton came to Knox thanks to the efforts of Assistant Professor of Biology Nicholas Gidmark. Procuring the whale wasn’t easy. (Find out how a whale came to Knox at magazine.knox.edu.) But Gidmark’s biggest challenge has been preparing the whale for display. Luckily, he’s had assistance from a group uniquely qualified to help—his students in BIOLOGY 325: Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy. Over the last year, these students have been identifying, cleaning, imaging, and repairing the bones. Much of the knowledge and confidence the students are bringing to the project comes from that fall term anatomy class, and they are learning additional skills through research and trial and error.

Though Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy has been taught for many years at Knox, Gidmark’s research interest in examining animal form and function using the lenses of comparative anatomy, muscle physiology, and biomechanics made him the perfect fit to teach the class when he joined the faculty three years ago. After his first term at the helm, he changed the structure of the class from three days of lectures and one day of lab each week to two days of lectures and two days of

probably isn’t the first place you’d expect to find a whale skeleton. But when the first phase of renovations to Knox’s Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center is completed this fall, along with the new science commons and classrooms, it will include a new two-story atrium facing campus that will be home to Knox’s largest resident—a 55-foot fin whale skeleton.

Left: Junior Emily McParland takes measurements of a whale vertebrae.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Right: Assistant Professor of Biology Nick Gidmark points out the vertebral body to Sam Arrez ’19.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

9

“I often waffle between being so humbled and amazed and honored to be part of this in labs. “To get into something, you really need to have your hands on it,” said Gidmark. “And by doubling our lab time, we could get through the labs we had been doing much more quickly.”

With the extra lab time, Gidmark was able to add one final project to the course—a skeletal articulation. The class was divided into eight teams of

three students, and each team was given a box that contained the bones of animals Gidmark had obtained and cleaned prior to the start of the term— of a fox, opossum, hawk, owl, seagull, dog, dolphin, or seal. For the rest of the term, their assignment was to identify the bones and reassemble the skeletons.

Megan Koluch ’19, whose future

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Senior Kiana Arango rotates the whale’s hyoid (tongue bone) while Sam Arrez ’19 takes photos with an iPad. The photos will be used to create a digital 3D surface model of the bone.

10

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

plans include medical school, was on the team that assembled the dolphin. “I was handed that box of bones and thought ‘I know nothing,’ and freaked out for a minute. And then it’s like ‘Oh, I know this is a cervical vertebra,’ and just kind of started piecing together everything I’d learned.”

Once the bones were identified, they were reassembled into a lifelike posture. The fox is jumping, the dolphin is diving, the dog is sitting. “For this project, they not only had to think about how the bones are connected, but how the animal moves,” says Gidmark. They’re integrating animal locomotion, animal behavior, and animal posture, as well as just raw anatomy.”

The students drilled holes into each individual bone, then threaded them to each other using rods for larger animals like the seal or dog (which was the size of a Great Dane), or fine wire for the delicate bones of the hawk, owl, and seagull. Once in position, the hundreds of bones were glued to hold their pose, creating a museum-quality articulation. “They spent a lot of time with the fine details so that you don’t see how, say, the leg is connected. It’s just connected,” says Gidmark.

He estimates each student spent more than 100 hours outside of lab time to complete their projects. For Koluch, it was the most humbling and challenging experience of her academic career. And also the most rewarding.

“In the end, when you get to see your finished project and everyone is just in awe, it’s just so cool to be like, yeah, I did that.”

Koluch says that her biggest takeaway from the project is that no matter how perfectly plans are laid out on paper, it’s not necessarily going to work out that way in real life. “You just have to keep working through those

problems and find solutions for them.

There’s no manual for these things.”

Gidmark says that tenacity and the ability to work though the problem have been huge assets as he and his team of students have tackled the whale articulation project. “The logistics are difficult to grasp unless you’ve done something on a smaller scale,” says Gidmark.

Just like the class articulation, the first step in the whale project involved identifying the bones. Students were assigned different sections of the anatomy, such as the ribs, skull, flippers, and vertebrae.

Once the bones were identified, each was placed on a three-foot turntable, and, while one student slowly turned it, another took multiple photos from different angles. These were used to make three-dimensional (3D) images of each bone. Students then created a 3D animation of the whale.

Sydney Fretwell ’19, who plans to attend veterinary school, worked on the computer animation. “Once it’s finished, we’ll be able to see how it articulates. If we move the tail upwards, the whole verticular column is going to move with it.”

A 3D model of the atrium is helping the team determine the appropriate articulation of the whale for the space.

“There’s going to be a two-inch pipe that goes through all of the vertebrae that will need to be professionally bent, so we need to know exactly what we want before it’s hung,” says Gidmark.

In addition to the scanning and animation of the whale, another component of the project that was new for the team was the cleaning, repairing, and even re-creation of some of the bones.

Because the bones were exposed to the elements for years before coming to Knox, they were discolored and

covered in dirt and algae. Sam Arrez ’19, who plans to attend medical school, worked with other students over winter term to clean the bones.

“It was a lot of trial and error. We started off with hydrogen peroxide and a stain-removing powder. We had to figure out things like if it was better to soak the bones in a solution or rinse them. Or what works better, a toothbrush or scraper?” When they completed the cleaning process, the team coated the bones in a liquid polymer to strengthen them.

Some of the bones were damaged or broken and had become porous from exposure. In some cases, the smaller finger bones (yes, whales have fingers) were missing entirely. The team used the College’s 3D printer to re-create smaller bones. To repair some of the larger ones, Assistant Professor of Art Andrea Ferrigno has been working with Gidmark to sculpt missing sections of vertebrae. And she’s been working with students to develop the best way to repair cracks and other deformities.

Jini John ’19 is headed to optometry school this fall and enjoys specialized detail work. During spring term, she used a combination of resin and microballoons to fill bone deformities, layering and sanding multiple times to achieve a natural look. “If you pile a lot on, it’s going to bubble up and look plaster-like,” which is why John’s steady hand and eye for detail has been such an asset to the project. “In the end, you want it to look like bone, not artificial.”

Once the bones were cleaned and repaired, the last step was to paint all of the bones to give them a uniform look.

This summer, Gidmark and students are putting the whale together in 10-foot sections, with plans to have the

BREA CUNNINGHAM

credible project, and kind of angry at myself at biting off such a big project.”

—Nick Gidmark

Jini John ’19 makes some adjustments to the red-tailed hawk she and her team articulated for the class Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy.

whale articulated and hanging in the atrium by Homecoming weekend.

“I often waffle between being so humbled and amazed and honored to be part of this incredible project, and kind of angry at myself at biting off such a big project,” says Gidmark. “So whose idea was this? Oh yeah, it was mine. Totally mine.”

He says that for his students, “learning how to actually connect a chevron bone to a vertebra is not really that transferable, I’ll give you that. There are not that many jobs out there that need that skill. But it’s those softer skills of planning, and work, and thought, and the fact that they really do pay off—you can’t do it without those tools.”

And while Gidmark and his students continue their work in the biology wing of the Umbeck ScienceMathematics Center, he can’t help but look to the future. “Twenty years from now, that whale is going to be hanging there, and the alumni who put it together are going to come back, and they’re going to remember. And they’ll go find the dog or seal or hawk and they’ll still be here. We did this together, and it was a crazy amount of work. And it was wonderful.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

11

BEYOND THE BOOKS: “Rea

BY ADRIANA COLINDRES

12

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

on someone else’s life,” says Robin Ragan, professor of modern languages (Spanish). She taught the fall term class in which students completed translations, led the winter break trip to Oaxaca, and joined two of her students in the spring break trip to an immigrant detention center in Dilley.

Students agree with Ragan’s assessment. They say that while the projects and trips have been demanding, they’ve responded with dedication and teamwork.

Translating for a Startup Company Isaac Hughes ’21, for example, was one of the students who translated a startup company’s contract language from English to Spanish in SPAN 205: Introduction to Spanish Translation.

Alumnus Russell Coon ’08, an owner of a startup company that connects organic food producers with buyers, had turned to Knox for help with the project, and the students were paid for their efforts.

“The legal jargon made translation slow and challenging,” Hughes says. “A lot of the legal phrases that I encountered were totally new to me, so I had to research what they meant in English before even considering how to translate them. This really forced me to be a cautious and thoughtful translator.”

To complete the translation work for Coon’s startup, Hughes and the other students worked in small teams, each

BEATRIZ JIMENEZ '19

D

o you remember what it was like to learn a new language— say, Spanish? Did you dread the rote memorization (most likely, from a book) so you’d be able to conjugate verbs, learn the gender of nouns, and distinguish between the proper use of ser and estar?

At Knox, students studying Spanish are venturing beyond the classroom to obtain practical, real-world experiences in reading, writing, and speaking the language. They’re also picking up marketable skills that may serve them well in their after-Knox lives.

During the 2018-19 academic year, for instance, students taking Spanish classes at Knox: • Translated various documents, including contract language that is being used by a startup company co-owned by a Knox alumnus.

• Explored potential careers in education, social work, interpreting, and healthcare as they worked in Oaxaca, Mexico, using their Spanish-language skills in professional settings.

• Served as interpreters for immigrant women and children being detained in Dilley, Texas, while seeking asylum in the United States.

“I believe students will feel more engaged in the assignments if they know they are completing something for a real person or agency, and that their work will actually have an impact

Students in SPAN 221 explored potential careers and visited Plaza Santo Domingo during a winter break trip to Oaxaca, Mexico.

l-World� Lessons in Spanish

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

13

headed by an editor. The class created a shareable online glossary to ensure that the teams consistently translated specific words and phrases that appeared repeatedly in the English-language document.

“This was a very collaborative project,” explains Hughes, an environmental studies and philosophy major.

“During class, we would meet with our editors and discuss challenging words or phrases of the translation. Every single decision that was made needed to be followed by the whole class, in order to have continuity in the final text. Therefore, we were constantly conferencing and debating with one another, which was my favorite part.”

Students who worked on the translation for the startup got to meet Coon in person. “He inspired us all to do a great job on the assignment,” Ragan says. “Translators rarely get to meet their clients face-to-face or hear from them how much they appreciated the work.”

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Beatriz Jimenez ’19 participated in the winter break trip to Mexico—actually, a travel component to SPAN 221: Healthcare, Social Work, and Education that was designed for students interested in careers in those fields or in Spanish-English language interpreting. “Interpreting has always been one of my interests,” she says. “And there is no better way to continue to develop skills in a language than by being surrounded by everyone who speaks it.”

During the fall 2018 term, students in the course—some of whom were also taking another of Ragan’s classes— met weekly to prepare for the twoweek journey. They discussed logistics and examined the area’s geography and culture. Once the Knox group arrived in Oaxaca, students started every weekday by shadowing and assisting professionals at Centro de Esperanza Infantil, a nonprofit organization to help children; Hospital Civil (a hospital); Centro de Salud Ejido Guadalupe Victoria (a health center); and Escuela Primaria Andres Portillo (an elementary school). Knox students also met with guest speakers who discussed topics that included health insurance and racism and took weekend trips to nearby villages.

Jimenez, a Spanish and political science major, helped teach English at the elementary school and worked with children and families who received assistance through Centro de Esperanza Infantil.

“I taught children from ages 7 to 12, and I was able to help out in gym and computer classes. I also got the chance

14

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Russell Coon ’08 visited SPAN 205 students to thank them for their translation work.

SUBMITTED

Exploring Careers in Oaxaca

While in Oaxaca, Robin Ragan’s students shadowed and helped professionals in several places, including a hospital, health center, and elementary school.

to observe the teacher and learn their methods of teaching, and I got the chance to work in Centro de Esperanza, where I played and helped children with their homework,” says Jimenez, who hopes to become a Spanish professor.

The trip enabled her to learn about Oaxaca’s culture while also gaining teaching experience. “One of my favorite memories was when the children in the school would invite me to sit with them during their lunch period. They called me ‘Profe Betty’ and were so excited to talk with me. They wanted to learn more about me and how life was in the United States. Their excitement and interest made me feel very special. I got attached to the students despite only spending a few days with them.”

For Alyx Farris ’21, too, the trip to Oaxaca was an unforgettable one. The art history major spent part of her time there visiting the homes of families who were applying for benefits through Centro de Esperanza. “Essentially, my role was that of a social worker; I filled out a questionnaire regarding the financial status and living conditions of

“. . . There is no better way to continue to develop skills in a language than by being surrounded by everyone who speaks it.”

— Beatriz Jimenez ’19

the family and took pictures of their homes,” she says. “This experience fits in perfectly with my experience at Knox focusing on cultural diversity, social compassion, and the broader human experience.”

Working with Immigrant Detainees Students aren’t the only members of the Knox community who are gaining new insights through travel and experiential opportunities that utilize their Spanish-language skills. Just ask Ragan, who has been teaching Spanish at Knox since 2000.

This past spring break, she and two of her advanced Spanish students volunteered with the Dilley Pro Bono Project, which is associated with the Immigration Justice Campaign and aims to help immigrants who are seeking asylum in the United States.

Members of the Knox group had a wide range of responsibilities: scanning and filing documents, participating in presentations to familiarize immigrants with their rights, and preparing detainees for their interviews with asylum officers.

“The biggest responsibility we had was working in a team with a law student or lawyer to interview a woman about her asylum claim, help her understand asylum law and how it applied to her specific case, and then practice the questions and answers with her until she was confident,” Ragan recalls. “Once, I had to interview an 8-year-old child, and I felt a tremendous weight on my shoulders to carry out the interview with him about scary topics without scaring him!”

She says the experience has given her “a much richer understanding of the complexities of our legal system,” and it contributes to her work as a scholarteacher.

“It’s important to me to stay in touch with the language skills and knowledge base my students need once they begin looking for work. Work like this puts me in touch with a whole new sector of employment opportunities for my students,” Ragan adds. “Moreover, I feel compelled to have firsthand knowledge, as much as possible, about the topics I teach. As a professor of Spanish, the topic of immigration is always on the syllabi or in the readings in some shape or form. And while I can learn a lot from memoirs and literary representations or films, these are often reflective and well-crafted pieces.

Working in a detention center meant I had more contact with the immediate chaos of the lived experience.”

The “real-life” projects, such as the ones involving Knox students during the past year or so, clearly provide ways for them to hone their Spanishlanguage skills. Less obvious, perhaps, is the fact that these opportunities also give students practical experiences they can cite in job interviews and on a resume. Their translations, for example, could appear on an organization’s web page or in an office brochure or as subtitles on a video, Ragan says.

The experiential, immersive opportunities in Spanish are open to students at the beginning levels, too.

In her introductory 100-level Spanish courses, Ragan has her students complete what she calls “cultural notebooks,” an assignment that involves attending on-campus events related to the Spanish-speaking world. “To me, it’s important that at the earliest levels of language learning, students are able to connect their learning to real people and their lived experience.”

Such connections are key for true, lasting learning.

“Languages do have a special role and place in our brains, and they require us to engage with other humans in order to really acquire them,” says Ragan. “When students are emotionally invested in the language— because they have an immediate, compelling purpose for communicating—they learn more, and more deeply.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

15

THE JERUSALEM QUESTION(S) In a new course about the long-contested and divided city, Knox students get an up-close look at some very old problems

BY PAM CHOZEN

16

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

F

SUBMITTED

Students explore one of the many freshwater cisterns inside the ancient fortress of Masada, which overlooks the Dead Sea. From left to right: Iesha Said, Danica Dosmann, Irein Thomas, Anna Rhodes, Judith Espinoza, Alex Fluegel, and Acacia Berg.

irst, some recent history: Before Israel declared its independence in 1948 and claimed West Jerusalem as part of its territory, the United Nations intended Jerusalem to become an international city.

By the conclusion of the Arab-Israeli War in 1949, however, West Jerusalem had come fully under Israeli control, and East Jerusalem—which includes the Old City and religious sites of importance to Muslims, Jews, and Christians—was under the control of Jordan.

This arrangement lasted until the Six-Day War of 1967, when Israel took possession of East Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank. Since then, the status of Jerusalem has been a major sticking point in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, with both sides claiming Jerusalem as their rightful capital.

Today, about 20 percent of Israel’s 9 million residents are Arabs, the Palestinian Authority oversees the occupied territories of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (where Israeli Jews also live, through a deliberate and questionably legal effort to establish Jewish settlements there), and, despite years of negotiations, a solution seems as distant as it ever has.

It was this conflict that the 15 students in HIST/RELS 271G: Jerusalem set out to explore during fall term 2018. An outgrowth of Assistant Professor of History Danielle Steen Fatkin’s course on the history of the Israel-Palestine Conflict—which examined the ancient history and archaeology of Jerusalem and its relationship to the modern conflict between Israel and Palestine— “Jerusalem” aimed to help students understand both the history and the

current reality of the residents of the city—Jewish, Christian, and Muslim; Israeli and Palestinian. At winter break, students then traveled around Israel, the West Bank, and Jerusalem for two weeks, meeting people from every side of the conflict and visiting the sites that have made Jerusalem so important to so many different people—the Al Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, among others.

When they returned, the class held a research forum to share some of their experiences traveling in Israel and Palestine and the questions their travels raised.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Riley Grossman ’19 noted a strong preference among her classmates for referring to the West Bank and Gaza not as Israel or Palestine but as “the Occupied Territories.” She said, “A lot of Israelis don’t call it that. You know— religious Jews, or people who are very into the Zionist movement, call it ‘Judea’ and ‘Samaria,’ which were the Biblical names for those areas. You can tell actually a lot of someone’s political standing and what they think about this conflict by how they name it.”

HOW DO YOU MAKE GOOD CHOICES IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY? Senior Judith Espinoza decided to focus on Hamas (the Islamic Resistance Movement, based in Gaza) for her class research project. Though governments in the West regard Hamas as an Islamic fundamentalist terrorist organization, inside Gaza, it is not only the controlling political authority but one of the

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

17

“They kept asking me, ‘Are you here because of your heritage?’ And I kept trying to explain that I was traveling as part of a class.” —Iesha Said, Knox College junior few sources of social welfare programs for Palestinians. “Hamas exists because of the conditions in Gaza,” she said, “which many consider to be the world’s largest open-air prison. People are not allowed to leave Gaza. It has no international recognition. Because of the population density, when there are attacks on the West Bank, it’s almost guaranteed that a lot of people will die and lose their homes.”

Residents told her there’s a lack of food, water, and electricity. “We heard reports that there will be maybe two hours of electricity a day for a normal family in Gaza. There are a lot of restrictions on what kind of supplies can come into the area. There are curfews. And there is also the issue of

Israeli settlers. When settlers decide to take a space in the West Bank, it means there’s going to be an even greater demand on scarce resources.”

Hamas provides healthcare, education, and job training for its supporters.

It also offers compensation for the families of the “martyrs” who volunteer as suicide bombers. “Because there’s very limited opportunity for Palestinians living in the area, if you’re living in poverty, in terrible conditions, then it’s not illogical to think, well, if I commit an act of terror, at least my family’s going to have enough to get by. It’s very, very dark to think this way, but poverty and inequality don’t really promote ethical and rational thinking.”

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A NON-JEW IN A JEWISH STATE? In the United States, junior Iesha Said—whose Muslim parents emigrated to the United States from Ethiopia before she was born—identifies as African American. As soon as she landed in Israel, however, she was assigned a new all-encompassing identity: Muslim. At the airport in Tel Aviv, she was the first to immigration and passport control, anticipating that it might take her a little longer to get through.

She was right—officials pulled her aside and questioned her for approximately 90 minutes before she was granted entry. “They kept asking me, ‘Are you here because of your heritage?’ And I kept trying to explain that I was traveling as part of a class.”

It was her first taste of what it’s like to be a Muslim in a nation where Muslims, especially Arab Muslims, are sometimes objects of hatred and fear.

To Israelis seeing her hijab and dark complexion, she looked Palestinian. “In Orthodox [Jewish] areas, I felt invisible.

In Muslim areas, people just seemed confused—why is that Muslim girl hanging out with those tourists?”

The constant scrutiny and misunderstanding led to a profound realization for her. “Religious identity in Israel is like race in America,” she says. “You can’t escape it.”

SUBMITTED

The class, along with co-chaperones Monica Corsaro, director of spiritual life, and James Thrall, religious studies professor, listen in as a guide explains the significance of the structure around them.

18

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

SUBMITTED

The Dome of the Rock gleams from within the Old City of Jerusalem. The stone the temple was built atop holds great significance both for Jews—who believe it is the place where Abraham once tried to sacrifice his son—and for Muslims, who believe it is the spot where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

CAN ANYTHING BE DONE? While there have been moments in the last 30 years where it seemed there might be a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, the peace process has been at a virtual standstill since 2014, when Israel suspended talks after the newly formed Palestinian government included representatives from Hamas. (This summer, the Trump Administration announced a new peace plan for the region, but the Palestinian Authority says it was not consulted and therefore will not participate in discussions.) “I would say changing the hearts and minds of young people is one important part,” said Irein Thomas ’19. “They’re the future lawmakers.”

WHAT IF YOU’RE LEFT WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS? Fatkin’s specialty is ancient history and archaeology, but she noted that while the group spent a great deal of time visiting Masada, the Dead Sea, and the Old City of Jerusalem, what they wanted to write and talk about when they got home wasn’t archaeology. And that’s fine with her—the goal was to introduce students to a part of the world “that is so often talked about and so poorly understood by so many people.”

Their trip went off without a hitch, and Fatkin hopes to offer the course again in two years—but planning ahead can be particularly challenging. “We were so lucky. We were there from November 27 until December 9. And

on December 13, just four days after we had been in Ramallah, Israel closed Ramallah and sent in the police to conduct a massive manhunt because a settler had been shot outside of Bethlehem.

“What we walked away with is the sense of how difficult life can be day to day for so many people living in Israel and Palestine.”

This immersive experience for Knox students was made possible in part by funding from the Knight Endowed Fund for the Study of Religion and Culture and the Glossberg Jewish Studies Fund, which support classroom education and faculty enrichment and help students seek wisdom and guidance as they work their way through important issues at Knox and in the world that awaits them.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

19

KNOX ADDS NEW MINOR IN ARCHAEOLOGY HIST/RELS 271G: Jerusalem isn’t just a history and religion course; it also fits neatly within the requirements for Knox’s new archaeology minor, which debuts in fall 2019. The program is a natural outgrowth of the growing number of archaeology courses—including Danielle Fatkin’s first-year preceptorial focusing on the subject, geological excursions, and international field school opportunities that have become available to students in recent years.

Fatkin, co-director of the new program, says it’s a good fit for the Knox curriculum. “Archaeology is, in a sense, the perfect liberal art, because in order to do it well, you actually have to be an artist, a humanist, a social scientist, and a natural scientist.”

The minor consists of an introductory course, a practicum that involves research in the field, and courses in one of three concentration areas: Mediterranean, Native American, or geoarchaeology.

“If you’re doing archaeology, you have to specialize in some way. You have to choose a time period to learn the most about, or a material culture,” says co-director Katie Adelsberger, Douglas and Maria Bayer Endowed Chair in Earth Science. “In our case, it’s built on strengths we have at Knox. We have lots of material on the Mediterranean and Native American worlds, artistically and historically. In the geoarchaeology specialization, it’s focusing on the tools to understand earth processes and site formation, which also informs cultural analysis.”

SUBMITTED

Thanks to regular trips to an excavation site in Dhiban, Jordan, through the Institute for Field Research, Fatkin and Adelsberger have been able to conduct a variety of hands-on research alongside students. They’ve also been able to borrow rare materials and excavation samples for further analysis—a privilege that few other countries grant.

Students explore the vast Masada complex, where Herod the Great built a fortress between 31 and 37 BCE.

20

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

These materials have already provided opportunities for independent research, as part of Fatkin’s ceramics lab. Joyce Hall ’11 was one of several students to do work in this area; in her case, helping to build a timeline of Dhiban’s occupation by examining Nabatean ceramics from the site. Now, with a formalized path that includes practicums, long-term studies building on the research of several students (alongside Adelsberger and Fatkin) will be easier to facilitate.

Fatkin and Adelsberger also noted the many applications for an undergraduate foundation in the field.

Familiarity with geographic mapping software, chemical analysis, and field surveying instruments provide an impressive technical background that can serve students in a variety of disciplines. There are many adjacent sciences that students can pursue, including paleontology, and the field also lends itself to historical and anthropological work in museum curation and arts administration.

The South Lawn First-year High Jumper Qualifies for Nationals, Named All-American

BREA CUNNINGHAM

Austin Rauch came to Knox already familiar with the top spot on the podium as an Illinois High School State Champion in the high jump.

Now sporting purple and gold, the first-year is continuing his champion career at Knox. In his first meet for the Prairie Fire, Rauch made the secondbest jump in school history. Two meets later, with a jump of 2.08 meters (6 feet, 9.75 inches), he set a new school record. That jump also gave Rauch a fourth place national ranking, which qualified him for the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships.

Traveling to Boston in early March,

ence Field Performer of the Week twice and was named Newcomer of the Year by the conference. At the Prairie Fire Awards Banquet this spring, he received the Cleave Bridgman Trophy for outstanding performer in an individual sport and the Harley Knosher Male Athlete of the Year Award.

“Having this caliber of athlete isn't just an asset to the track and field program, but benefits all Prairie Fire teams as well as the College,” said Irle.

“It makes Knox a much more attractive option when we’re recruiting new coaches and especially new studentathletes.”

Rauch is the 15th student-athlete in school history to represent Knox at a national championship.

Rauch placed sixth overall at the meet, earning him All-American honors.

“Austin’s a fantastic young man. He works hard and has a great competitive spirit,” said Athletic Director Daniella Irle.

In his short career at Knox, Rauch has also been named Midwest Confer-

Three Knox students have been chosen to receive a competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which helps to finance study abroad and internship experiences in other countries.

The most recent Gilman recipients are Soko Cheng ’20, Arjun Moore ’20, and Iesha Said ’20.

Cheng, an anthropology and sociology major, used her Gilman in spring 2019 to study Southeast Asian culture and society in Thailand and to reconnect with her family’s roots in Cambodia. She took classes on Thai culture, human rights, and social issues at Chiang Mai University, and she stayed briefly with a family in a rural village.

Moore, an Asian Studies major, will spend the 2019-20 academic year in Japan, expanding his knowledge of the Japanese language and taking classes in linguistics, Asian Studies, and religious studies. “I think studying in Japan will allow me to expand on what I have learned through the Asian Studies program here at Knox,” said Moore, who hopes to serve in the Peace Corps and eventually pursue a postgraduate degree in linguistics.

Said, an international studies major, will travel to Jordan for an intensive Arabic-language program. She is also considering applying for the Peace Corps and pursuing a career as a diplomat after she graduates from Knox.

Cheng, Moore, and Said are among many Knox students in recent years to have received the prestigious scholarship, which is administered by the U.S. Department of State. The Gilman program enables students with financial need to study or intern abroad, which helps them gain critical skills.

SUBMITTED

Three More Students Win Gilman Scholarships

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

21

New Faculty Bring Diverse Interests Four new faculty members joined the Knox community, bringing their own research interests, teaching styles, and personalities to campus.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations Katie earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Dickinson College and a Ph.D. in political science from Indiana University. Her teaching interests include nationalism, Russian and Eastern European politics, authoritarianism, and democratization.

Why did you choose to teach at a liberal arts college?

I loved my undergraduate experience at Dickinson College. I was able to take courses in a lot of different fields, ranging from organic chemistry to a seminar on Bach. The liberal arts provided a breadth of knowledge and skills that I’ve found useful in so many, sometimes unexpected, ways. Knox’s small classes are comprised of students with a wide variety of perspectives and experiences, creating an atmosphere that sparks dialogue and deep learning from one another. It’s the type of experience you can’t get in a large lecture hall.

If funding and time were no obstacle, where would you direct your research?

I would study how Russian nation-building and foreign policy are influencing the identities of Russian minorities in all of the post-Soviet countries with ethnography, surveys, and focus groups. I plan to start a bit smaller with fieldwork in Estonia.

22

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Katie Stewart Pierce Gradone Assistant Professor of Music Pierce earned a bachelor’s degree in music composition and theory from Florida State University, a master’s degree in music composition from The University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in music from University of Chicago. He loves musical theatre, and his dream is to adapt a work of science fiction for a chamber orchestra with electronics.

How did you first get interested in your academic field?

My parents were both amateur musicians, so music was an integral part of my family life growing up. My interest in composition actually came from hearing Elton John on the radio. I was absolutely obsessed with “Bennie and the Jets,” and I was determined to reproduce it myself. So I began tinkering on our upright piano and slowly figured out the rhythm, chords, and melodies until I could recreate the song entirely on my own. I then quickly realized I could manipulate those chords to create new songs and began to write silly songs to perform for my family and friends.

Describe a favorite teaching moment.

After hearing his own music played for the first time, one of my composition students, still slightly in shock, told me, “I never thought I’d ever be able to produce something like this.” Empowering students’ creativity is one of my favorite parts of teaching, so seeing it pay off in such a tangible way was truly inspiring.

Roya Biggie Assistant Professor of English Roya earned a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, a master’s degree in English from Georgetown University, and a Ph.D. in English from the CUNY Graduate Center.

Her teaching interests include early modern English dramas.

How did you first become interested in your field?

When I first read Renaissance drama and learned that these plays were written during the rise of the anatomy theatres, I was hooked. I became interested in how the period’s drama staged theories of the mind and body, including those that were inherited from the Greeks and those that arose with advances in medicine and anatomy.

Describe a favorite teaching moment.

In an upper-level Shakespeare course, I assigned a performance project that required students to work in groups, memorize lines, and perform 10-20 minute scenes at an event that was open to the entire college community. Most of my students had no prior acting experience and were, understandably, very nervous. As the performance drew near, my students became more enthusiastic about their collaborative work; that is, while the thought of performing was still a source of anxiety, students would excitedly tell me about potential costuming choices or how they’d decided to perform a specific line. On the night of the performance, they were glowing in anticipation. They admitted that they did, in fact, want an audience despite initially keeping the event from their friends.

I bring up this performance project because I was just as surprised by the assignment as my class. While I initially hoped the project would help them think about Shakespeare’s work as script, I later realized that it also, in a small way, showed students the joys of risk-taking, of being uncomfortable, and perhaps even, the satisfaction we feel when embarking on new and difficult terrain.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

PETER BAILLEY ’74

The South Lawn

Jonah Rubin Assistant Professor of AnthropologySociology Jonah joined the Knox faculty in 2017 after earning both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Chicago. He also earned his undergraduate degree, in Latin American Studies, from that institution. His teaching interests include science and technology, political anthropology, crime, human rights, memory, and medicine and the body.

How did you get interested in anthropology?

I only discovered the discipline during my senior year in college, after trying (and failing) at public policy, history, political science, and half a dozen other disciplines. It was like a light bulb went off in my head. Anthropology begins by listening carefully to the people we work with: how they think about their own lives, how they talk about what they are doing, and how they undertake actions to reproduce or change the worlds they live in. It was the power of this relatively simple idea—that our understanding of the world needs to emerge from the diversity of the ways people live in it—that really attracted me.

If funding and time were no obstacle, where would you direct your research?

The Spanish government has refused to fund efforts to locate and exhume the 130,000+ civilians who were murdered by fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War and ensuing Franco dictatorship. Spanish forensic teams are forced to operate on a shoestring budget to search for the missing and return their remains to loved ones for a dignified burial. I would like to see these exhumations fully funded so that the names of all the missing might be known—and, as a purely selfish endeavor, I’d like to have a mixed ethnographicarchaeological-forensic field school to accompany this work as well.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

23

Knox Introduces Early College Program Beginning in fall 2019, high-achieving high school students from the local area will have the opportunity to take courses at Knox through the Knox Early College Program.

Through the new program, eligible students will have access to a broader variety of courses during their senior year than most high schools can offer—astronomy, biochemistry, Chinese, Japanese, or philosophy, for example—or to pursue higher levels of study in fields such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, or Spanish. They will be able to explore subjects with the depth and complexity that comes with learning in a college setting.

The program will provide a scholarship to cover the tuition for each course, so students will only need to cover the cost of textbooks and other class materials.

“The Knox Early College Program is invaluable for high school students who want to pursue a college education.

They will not only have the chance to learn from Knox’s outstanding faculty, they will also be learning and working alongside Knox students from wide-ranging backgrounds,”

said Paul Steenis, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission. “Additionally, students will be able to experience a liberal arts education firsthand, which will give them a better framework to work from during the college selection process.”

The Knox Early College Program has additional benefits that extend beyond students’ time in the program. If students in the Early College Program decide to pursue their education at Knox, they will automatically be admitted to the College. They will also receive $30,000 per year in merit scholarships to help cover the cost of tuition. Even if a student decides that Knox is not for them, they will still earn college credits through the program that can be transferred to the college they attend.

Local high schools participating in the program currently include Galesburg, Knoxville, Abingdon, and ROWVA High Schools. The program is also open to homeschooled students within Knox County or Warren County. Students must rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class or have an unweighted cumulative GPA of at least 3.8.

Meet Olive, the Therapy Dog

BREA CUNNINGHAM

Knox College Counseling Services has begun offering pet therapy to students who want to spend time with a four-legged friend—to be specific, a specially trained, 5-year-old dog named Olive.

“Olive is an extrovert and loves being around people,” says Claire Palmer, who is Olive’s owner and the intake coordinator at Counseling Services.

24

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

“She’s very gentle, loving, and playful.”

Pet therapy is one of the self-guided therapy options available through Counseling Services, says Assistant Dean for Student Wellness/Director of Counseling Services Janell McGruder.

“The self-guided therapy options [which also include light therapy and biofeedback] are ways for students to seek out forms of therapy and coping mechanisms, without going through the normal intake process,” she explains.

The process for scheduling an appointment with Olive is simple: First, students must arrange a day and time through Counseling Services, and then read and sign a waiver and consent form. Each appointment lasts about 15 minutes.

“The type of interaction depends on Olive,” says Palmer, who is always

present during the pet therapy sessions.

“We all just follow Olive’s lead in terms of how she interacts with the student.”

Sometimes, Olive is in a playful mood, and she’ll chase a ball or engage in a game of tug-of-war. At other times, Palmer explains, Olive prefers to nap in the student’s lap or in a chair beside the student, or she may lie on the floor and “gladly receive” a belly rub.

Some students have had several therapy sessions with Olive, and she now recognizes them. She “gets very excited and tends to be more interactive with some of her regular ‘fans,’” Palmer says.

“There are many benefits to pet therapy, both physically and mentally,” McGruder adds. The mental health benefits include providing comfort, decreasing anxiety, lessening symptoms of depression, reducing boredom and loneliness, and lifting spirits.

STEVE DAVIS

House of Peace and Equity Opens The Intercultural Life and Spiritual Life Offices have a new home on the Knox College campus: the House of Peace and Equity, also known as the HOPE Center.

The HOPE Center opened in April and contributes to Knox’s goal of creating an inclusive campus community. It features open, flexible spaces that students and other members of the Knox community can use in a variety of ways, such as for worship, prayer, meditation, and reflection. In addition, students can use the center as a study space and for club meetings, programs, and socializing. The building also includes conference rooms, offices, gender-neutral bathrooms, a big-screen TV, and a kitchen.

“We envision it as a place where students from all social identities can feel welcome, find affirmation, find mentorship, find community, and find peace,” said Vice President for Student Development Anne Ehrlich.

“Intercultural Life and Spiritual Life are both housed there in support of that goal: Whatever your race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability status, or gender, you belong there.”

The building that now is the HOPE Center previously served as the longtime home of a Galesburg church.

The building became available when the congregation decided to relocate elsewhere in Galesburg and was

purchased thanks to the generosity of 10 members of the Knox College Board of Trustees. The renovation was funded by an anonymous donor.

The creation of the HOPE Center is “representative of the primacy of celebrating the diversity within our community, and creating space in which we can move from diversity to inclusion,” Ehrlich added. “That goal, of course, has deep roots in our mission and history, and is a focus of so much of the life of the College. Dedicating such a beautiful, large space to those efforts reinforces that equity and justice are of primary importance at Knox.”

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

25

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Students Sharpen Entrepreneurial Talents During StartUp Term This spring, Knox College students sharpened their entrepreneurial skills in a real-world environment through StartUp Term3, a 10-week academic immersion experience where teams build companies offering a variety of products and services.

Open to students from all academic disciplines, StartUp Term provides an opportunity to transform original business concepts into real services and products. Students accepted into StartUp Term work from office space in downtown Galesburg.

Throughout the process, students were mentored by four Knox faculty members: John Dooley, William and Marilyn Ingersoll Emeritus Chair in Computer Science; Jaime Spacco, associate professor of computer science; John Spittell, Wagner Distinguished Chair in Business; and Tim Stedman, visiting assistant professor of art.

At the end of the 10-week term, students made a final pitch to a panel of judges that included Knox alumni and local entrepreneurs. The judges included Adam Vitale, Knox trustee and president at G & M Distributors, Inc.; Asif Ahmed ’91, VP of analytics at Infutor; Eric Miller ’02, CEO at DocuWrx; Jerry Vovis ’65, Knox trustee and president and CEO of Vovis Enterprises; Krista Anne Nordgren ’12, freelance designer and developer and owner at The Mothership; Mike Burke ’72, global executive specializing in healthcare medical devices, imaging, and diagnostics; Olivia Keneipp ’17, StartUp Term2 alumna and product manager at The Minte; and Rick Rivero ’99, vice president of sales and marketing at Connections Marketing.

26

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Here’s a look at the five teams: Team Evrhome — Create a trustworthy and easy-to-use platform to connect home- and pet-owners with reputable sitters.

Team Promiere — Provide a mobile tool for all aspects of picking dresses that fit well and are unique for that special event.

Team Tesellate — Provide a modular, affordable, and stylish display unit for sneaker aficionados to show off the best of their collection.

Team Zing! — Help event marketers reach eager attendees, while providing users with a personalized feed of events that are aligned to their interests.

Team Gem — Spur evolution in the restaurant review space by focusing on credible reviewers and providing impartial feedback to the restaurants themselves.

Team Yume — Create a space for prospective and current college students to easily share experiences and discuss aspects of college life that are not necessarily focused on by the current sites in the market.

Team Yume received funds from the Stroben Entrepreneurship Fund, an endowed fund honoring the career of Donald Stroben ’52, established by his family and friends, to continue working on their project during the 2019-2020 academic year.

The South Lawn What’s Next For The Class of 2019?

Now that they’ve earned their undergraduate degrees, members of the Knox College Class of 2019 are moving forward with the next part of their lives. Some will be attending graduate or law school, while others have been hired for jobs or are pursuing community service.

Here is a look at what some of Knox’s most recent graduates are planning: – Jack Dechow, who majored in physics and minored in earth science, is attending The Ohio State University to pursue a Ph.D. in earth science, studying snow hydrology.

– Natalie Haddad is starting a job as a veterinary technician in Indiana. She majored in biology and minored in chemistry.

– Talya Frost, who majored in anthropology and sociology and minored in psychology, will be working with City Year, part of the AmeriCorps public service program. She also will be attending a dual-degree master’s program at the University of Central Florida to obtain master’s degrees in nonprofit management and public administration.

– Emily Hagerott is working this summer at Monk Botanical Gardens in Wausau, Wisconsin, where she is caring for garden plants, engaging visitors by leading tours and environmental education programs, and helping to develop the botanical garden.

– Jonathan Schrag will be the legislative associate for a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., starting in August. His job will involve working on various policy issues, such as increasing access to affordable health-care coverage, advocating for refugees and immigrants, and providing proper access to mental health and substance abuse services.

– Melissa London, a political science major and psychology minor, will be attending the University of Washington School of Law. – Domanique Rahman is heading to Botswana to serve in the Peace Corps as a life skills educator. An anthropology and sociology major, he had a self-designed minor in international development and a minor in Africana Studies.

– Jordan Anderson will be pursuing a master’s degree in sports media at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.

At Knox, he had a self-designed major in sports management and communication, and he minored in business and management.

Fired Up/ Burned Out Fired Up Knox held its first-ever #KnoxProud Day on Thursday, June 13, featuring social media shenanigans and alumni events in 14 U.S. cities. It was a day to celebrate—and a day to give. More than 1,650 donors made a gift to the Knox Fund during the 24-hour period, earning $174,000 in challenge gifts and raising nearly half a million dollars to support current students. You make us #KnoxProud.

Smoldering Two steps forward, one step back: Following recent changes to Knox’s academic program—including the introduction of a bachelor of science degree and the addition of a major in business and management—the number of applications for the 2019–2020 academic year rose 22 percent. The largest areas of growth were among students with an interest in art (up 85 percent), STEM (up 31 percent), and business (up 27 percent).

With a highly competitive environment for a decreasing number of college-bound students, however, the increase unfortunately didn’t translate into a larger incoming class. Enrollment for fall 2019 will be smaller than last year’s.

Perhaps you remember Knox’s steam tunnels from the spring 2017 issue, when a broken pipe inadvertently cooked the ground (and utility lines) outside Old Main?

Here’s an update from the rest of the tunnel network: Those aging pipes are now losing 15,000 gallons of water a day (up to 40,000 gallons in extreme cold), adding about $200,000 to Knox’s utility bills each year.

This winter, the Board of Trustees approved funding to begin replacing the entire system, which provides heat to about 85 percent of campus. The price tag: up to $2.5 million. The first phase of construction is taking place during summer 2019, with a second phase next summer.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

27

5 Questions for CFO Paul Eisenmenger What attracted you to Knox College?

BREA CUNNINGHAM

I am a product of a small, private, Midwestern liberal arts education, so I am a big believer in the academic program and co-curricular activities we have here at Knox. Knox is a very welcoming community; I sensed it during the interview process, and it has proven itself to be so now that I have been here a few months.

It’s different from other institutions where I’ve worked in that the students here are very engaged with administrative processes. They are both thoughtful and vocal. As an outsider coming in, one tries to identify and assimilate with the institutional culture; I think honestly that the Lincoln-Douglas debate in many ways embedded itself into Knox’s DNA. Many institutions can point to a significant or defining event in its history. But the debate hosted by the College here, outside of Old Main back in 1858, dealt with the dominant moral question of the day. Lincoln gave voice to the moral wrong of slavery and the inherent dignity of each individual. That voice is still very much present today within this campus community.

Paul Eisenmenger joined Knox as its new vice president for finance and administration/chief financial officer in January 2019 after stints as associate vice president of finance at Lewis University and senior vice president for finance and operations at Trinity International University—like Knox, both private liberal arts institutions in Illinois, as is his own alma mater, Judson College (now Judson University).

In your first months at Knox, what did you expect and what has surprised you?

I’ve been in higher education for about 17 years, so I’m pretty familiar with the responsibilities of the job itself.

What has surprised me? Several things: I am fortunate to have a very skilled and dedicated staff. It’s hard to fully appreciate that until you are actually working together day in and day out. Second, I can’t believe that Alumni Hall was once in notable disrepair. What it is today is a tribute to the vision of the institution, its leadership, and the generous support of alumni. Finally, Galesburg has some really good dining establishments. I have my favorites, but many could give anything in the northwest suburbs of Chicago (where I come from) a good run for their money.

28

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Knox was founded on the idea that a high-quality liberal arts education should be available to all promising students. Why do you think the cost of a college education has risen so dramatically?

This is a good question and one being asked in many circles today. My observation, and one that is shared by many of my peers in higher education, is that there is not really a short or simple answer. Rather, the increased costs are a net result of multiple factors.

Over the last several decades, access to higher education has increased. To be sure, this accessibility has been a very good thing. That said, prices do tend to rise when there is higher demand. Additionally, as schools compete for students there is a greater emphasis on delivering additional student services and enhanced student amenities. Providing these are notable budget adds for most schools. Finally, budget stresses for many states have reduced capital spending programs which benefited many institutions. As a result, costs have been passed on to students.

The South Lawn The ’Burg I know that the people in the financial aid department at Knox work very hard to try to meet as much student need as possible. Additionally, in my capacity as CFO, I, along with the other members of the senior leadership team, try to steward the resources entrusted to us with as much prudence as possible to help keep a Knox education as affordable as possible.

Where would you say Knox needs the most support? If Knox suddenly had a windfall of, say, $10 million, where would you like to see it go?

Donors have given very generously over the years to the initiatives of the College. This giving has come not only through the Knox Fund, but also via gifts for building projects, scholarships, and faculty development programs.

All are wonderful and greatly appreciated.

But to your question, if Knox were to receive a windfall gift of $10 million, I would love to see the funds support our students and their experience at Knox. With the increasing interest in STEM fields, a focus on the renovation of SMC labs and classrooms could improve the experience of many students. More scholarship assistance could lessen the strain on families of sending their children to Knox. And, lastly, modernizations in residential, athletic, and other livinglearning spaces on campus could extend learning beyond the classroom.

These are challenging times for small liberal arts colleges. Financially, how does Knox’s situation compare with these schools, and what are the primary challenges you see for Knox going forward?

I think the greatest challenge for Knox (and frankly, higher education in general) is the issue of student affordability. A close second would be how to respond to changing student demographics.

I would note first that Knox has grown its endowment notably over the years. This helps to provide a more stable financial platform. Second, Knox has a very dedicated network of alumni who believe in and support the mission of the school. Third, if you examine the list of skills and abilities that employers are looking for, and compare that list to the outcomes that a liberal arts education provides, there very well could be a renaissance for institutions focused on the liberal arts, and Knox is squarely in that space.

A Murder of Crows?

By Shruti Mungi ’19 Honors research by Elena Prado-Ragan ’18 offers an effective deterrent to the flocks of crows that arrive in Galesburg each winter and cover pavements and cars with droppings.

Prado-Ragan focused on crows because they congregate in such large numbers on and around the Knox campus. She based her research on a series of studies that had been published

by John Marzluff of the University of Washington, which investigated how crows avoid areas where their dead are present.

PETER BAILLEY ’74

While other methods to get rid of crows often involve poisoning, trapping, or shooting them, Prado-Ragan hung plastic crow effigies in positions that made them appear as if they were dead. She then tracked how many crows were present before the “dead” crow and how many were present 24 hours later. Her research ultimately revealed a 79 percent decrease in crows.

The Knox County Board put the idea into practice to save a tree located near the entrance of the Knox County Courthouse. The tree had been scheduled to be cut down because of all the bird droppings in the courthouse parking lot. Prado-Ragan’s faculty mentors, biology professors Jim Mountjoy and Jennifer Templeton, shared Prado-Ragan’s research with the board—and the effigies worked well enough to save the tree. Since then, crow effigies have also been placed on the Knox campus.

Prado-Ragan currently works as an assistant field ecologist to a Ph.D. student in Bocas del Toro, Panama, and hopes to pursue a master’s degree in ornithology.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

29

I am Knox — Peter Bailley ’74 Vitals Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri Major: Philosophy Campus Involvements: (Previously) Manager, Media Relations and Photo Service; Manager of Media and Photography; Associate Director, Media Relations; Media Relations Manager/Photographer in Office of Public Relations; Associate Director, Media Relations; Associate Director of Communications. (Now) Retired.

Three Facts about Peter He’s a member of the Class of 1974, but he didn’t complete his degree until 1990, because, he says, “I was challenged by the academics.”

He is the genius who came up with the idea for Stephen Colbert’s non-flammable Knox College diploma, which he attempted to burn after Knox awarded an honorary degree to Bill Clinton in 2007.

He is the proud father of two Knox alumni, Jeff Bailley ’05 and Erica Bailley ’08.

30

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

EVAN TEMCHIN ’10

How did you decide to go to college at Knox?

There’s a PR lesson here—how reputations change much more quickly now, compared to the way it was in 1970, when I was looking at colleges. A friend of the family, someone with extremely conservative political views, recommended Knox, undoubtedly because they felt Knox was a very conservative college. And in fact, Knox did have a very conservative reputation—about 20 years earlier. But that particular detail didn’t matter. Liberal or conservative, I came to Knox intending to major in philosophy because I enjoyed arguing in class. I would have done that, no matter where I went.

Why did you stay at Knox?

I left school in 1973 and started working in Galesburg—first as a bike mechanic and overnight radio DJ (at the same time), then as a reporter for radio and newspaper. I joined the Knox public relations office in 1985. I stayed for the same reasons I came— students and faculty at Knox, and my acquaintances in Galesburg, are friendly, creative, and compassionate. As one of our many advertising slogans put it, “Knox: The Best!”

Now that you’ve officially retired, what’s next?

In addition to cleaning house of surplus stuff, I’m covering some campus events on a freelance basis. That included Rep Term, because I both fell in love with and learned a lot about photography from the Knox Theatre Department, and the Whale Project, because, like so much at Knox, it’s an incomparable opportunity.

The South Lawn Students Explore Arts and Culture of Southern China

MICHAEL GODSIL ’75

Students in ASIA 237: Arts, Culture, and Lands of South China started the fall term in a classroom in George Davis Hall—and ended it more than 7,500 miles away.

The interdisciplinary course emphasizes “natural landscapes, ethnic minority cultural landscapes, and their visual or artistic representations,” says Weihong Du, associate professor of Asian Studies (Chinese) and director of the Asian Studies Program. Du and Michael Godsil, instructor in art, introduced students to visual and performing arts and literature from the region, including painting, dance, theatre, poetry, and folk tales during the on-campus portion of the course. Then they accompanied them to Southern China for 19 days over winter break to experience the culture for themselves, attending stage performances, visiting ancient towns, and participating in an academic exchange with Dali University.

The students’ itinerary took them to the cities of Guilin, Yangshuo, Kunming, Dali, Shaxi, and Lijiang. They “studied and participated in local culture and attended artistic events, all while being exposed to the natural beauty of the area,” Du said.

“This trip was my first time leaving the continental United States, so the experience was quite eye-opening,” said Alec Auston ’19, a double-major in biochemistry and economics. “It taught me that there are a lot of amazing cultures and people in the world and that I could learn a lot through interacting with them.”

Keara Crook ’19, who majored in Asian Studies and biology, was able to practice her Chinese-language skills on the trip and said that she learned a great deal about differences and similarities among ethnic groups in China. “Dialects, clothing, culture, ways of life, and food all vary to different degrees within these minorities, and it was astonishing to see firsthand.”

Back on campus, the students continued their examination of Southern China’s arts, culture, and landscapes during winter term. Crook created a collection of black-and-white photographs from the numerous snapshots she took with an analog camera and analog film. Auston created a pottery presentation based on landscapes.

Jack Harman ’18, a history and theatre major, pointed out that as a liberal arts institution, Knox is “all about opening and broadening your world view and horizons.”

“While this happens on an intellectual level every day in the classroom, there is simply no substitute for going somewhere completely new to you and experiencing that which life has to offer there.”

Sparks “Ordinary people can do

EXTRAORDINARY things. You don’t know what you can do until you’ve been tested.”

Civil rights activist and member of the Little Rock Nine Elizabeth Eckford ’63, during Opening Convocation 2018

“Carla [Hamilton McDowell ’10] and I

MET AT KNOX (I cast her as Satan in a play).”

Adam McDowell ’08 honors his “Knox sweetheart” on Valentine’s Day

“Here’s to

182 MORE YEARS of people saying ‘Wait, where is that?’”

Kat Sweet ’08 (@TheSweetKat) sends good birthday vibes to Knox on Founders Day

“I remember getting an email once suggesting that we wear

BICYCLE HELMETS on our walk to class to avoid falling ice during freezing rain, but no cancellation.”

Shane Donegan ’10, grumbling about the old days on Facebook

“Don’t compare yourself to others.

Instead, consider: ‘Am I

BETTER TODAY than I was yesterday?’”

Ryan Cannady ’99, Vice President of Sales at Deere Employees Credit Union, to Knox students at the Career Impact Summit in January

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

31

Michael A. Schneider, professor of history, is Knox’s new Provost and Dean of Knox College. He will serve a threeyear term.

Schneider brings extensive administrative and faculty experience to the position. He served as interim dean of the College in 2017-2018, as associate dean for four years, as director of the Eleanor Stellyes Center for Global Studies for eight years, and twice served as resident director for the ACM/GLCA Japan Study off-campus program in Tokyo. A member of the Knox College faculty since 1992, Schneider has served as chair of the history department as well as chair of the Asian Studies and international studies programs.

Schneider succeeds Garikai Campbell, who has accepted a

position as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina Asheville.

Schneider holds a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Michigan State University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He joined the history department as a specialist in East Asian history, creating the East Asian civilization sequence. He also designed Historian’s Workshop, a methodology course that remains the only required course in the history major.

“Throughout his career, Mike has aimed to expand horizons for students, making even obscure and challenging topics accessible to as many students as possible,” said Knox College President Teresa Amott. “Mike has prioritized the student experience and the power of reflection in shaping experiences that range from explorations of race and identity in First-Year Preceptorial to the emotional challenges of living in new cultural settings.”

To promote faculty development, Schneider served as co-author and helped manage major grants from the U.S. Department of Education, Mellon Foundation, Teagle Foundation, and many smaller grants from the ACM, GLCA, AsiaNetwork, and others. He led faculty development programs to Japan and China, and as associate dean, he sought to make faculty development resources and opportunities available to faculty from all disciplines.

“I am grateful to Mike for providing stability to the Dean’s Office over the next three years as we chart a transformational course for the College,” said Amott. “He is eager to meet individually and in groups with faculty and staff to learn how best he can support their aspirations and needs in the coming years.”

Go Figure

21 Days of snowfall during winter term 2019—that’s more than 40 percent of the term!

32

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

-23°F 137,500 Pounds of ice melt used to clear sidewalks during winter term 2019

Actual low temperature in Galesburg on January 30, 2019, causing Knox to cancel classes for 36 hours (the wind chill was in the neighborhood of -40°F)

BREA CUNNINGHAM

STEVE DAVIS

Schneider Named Provost & Dean

The South Lawn

Music That Moves People Renowned South African choral director and composer Dr. Michael Barrett came to Knox for a two-day residency in January, where he conducted three workshops on South African music and dance for the Knox community. He also rehearsed four of his pieces with the Knox College Choir, which performed them during the Choir’s Midwest Tour over spring break.

5.6 inches Amount of snow that fell in Galesburg on April 15, 2019

8.55 inches

Amount by which Galesburg exceeded its average May rainfall in 2019

15

Consecutive days of rain during the final weeks of spring term 2019, causing the College to move Commencement indoors, even though the sun finally came out on the big day

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

33

Despite some disappointment that Commencement had to be relocated to the T. Fleming Fieldhouse after weeks of rain turned the South Lawn into the South Bog, the day itself was sunny and bright and the 309 graduates radiant. It was a fitting setting for Commencement speaker Bridget Coughlin ’94, president and CEO of Shedd Aquarium and a passionate advocate for the planet’s oceans and the species that call them home. “If you think about it,” she observed during her address, “if humans had named this planet by looking back at it from space, we would have named it Water, not Earth. It is 70 percent aquatic, and only 2.5 percent of that is fresh water.” She urged the Class of 2019 to turn their “habitually curious” minds to taking on big problems, such as the preservation of those waterways.

34

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

COMMENCEMENT 201

The South Lawn 111 first-generation graduates in the Class of 2019

110 seniors graduated with Latin honors

32 seniors earned Knox’s first Bachelor of Science degrees

11

KNOX.EDU/COMMENCEMENT2019

PHOTOS BY PETER BAILLEY ’74, BREA CUNNINGHAM, ISAIAH SMITH ’20

9

seniors earned College Honors

“Yes I’m proud of my degree, but I’m also proud of the friends I’ve made, the impact on their lives that I’ve had, the clubs that I’ve been a part of, and the overall really incredible opportunities I’ve had outside of the classroom.”

–Senior Class Speaker Rachel Watson ’19

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

35

First Impressions “The Monday I first hear the body count my father would’ve just turned sixty-four.

Rocking the baby” The first stanza of the title poem from Nostalgia for a World Where We Can Live (Southern Illinois University Press, 2018) by Monica Berlin ’95, Knox College professor of English.

Winner of the Crab Orchard Review’s 2017 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Open Competition Award, Berlin’s poetry reminds us we are at the mercy of rivers, oceans, earth, wind, rain, blizzard, drought, and each other.

Redirecting Our Efforts to Sav Having taught environmental studies courses for 21 years and written nearly 200 articles in the public sphere, Professor of Environmental Studies Peter Schwartzman has repeatedly encountered students and readers who are cynical about the future of life on earth. To find out if there was any truth in this pessimism, Schwartzman set out to co-author a book with his father and fellow environmental scientist, David W. Schwartzman.

The Earth Is Not for Sale: A Path Out of Fossil Capitalism to the Other World That is Still Possible is a culmination of many research efforts that consistently concluded that such thoughts are misguided. It provides a thought-provoking outline of the solutions already in hand to the challenges now facing humanity and how people all over the world have begun this effort.

“There are incredible opportunities confronting us and many of us are already taking advantage of them by employing thoughtful and life-supporting strategies,” said Schwartzman. “Having heard pessimistic voices again and again, I felt an obligation to share this news.”

How did this collaboration begin?

My father and I have been collaborating on different research questions for nearly a decade. His background in biogeochemistry and geology meshes really well with my atmospheric science, science and technology studies, and physics background. Naturally, when we are visiting each other, we have intense discussions about the key challenges we face as a species. Initially, we decided to work on some articles together. That collaboration went very well, so we ventured to complete a book project.

What was it like collaborating with your father?

I didn’t realize how uncommon it was to have a parent and child doing research together until I started looking for other examples of it. We are very much alike, and I think this helps us understand each other. Writing a book takes stamina. Over the many months it took to complete the project,

36

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

we undoubtedly had times of disagreement and frustration. We worked through these times through cooperation and understanding. Our biggest challenge took place during the editing process. We do not write in the same way. It took time to create a consistent voice throughout the book.

You propose radical changes to political and social structures of society. What perspective are these solutions based on?

First and foremost, we have to acknowledge that our modern society is on a course not fit for the bulk of humanity or the planet. We have institutions, such as the military-industrial complex, and the prison-industrial complex that are antithetical to a healthy and sustainable civilization.

These institutions are extremely expensive to maintain, and the harm they do is immeasurable. Current investments in industrial agriculture, “clean” fossil fuels, and nuclear energy represent misdirected and dangerous pathways.

Knox Writes e Earth Clarifying this to each other and to our leaders is of paramount importance.

Yet, there is amazing potential for redirecting our human and natural resources, and creating a safer, healthier, and truly sustainable society. Wind and solar energy resources are sufficient to power all of humanity’s current and expanded needs, including, importantly, the elimination of the horrible energy poverty that the majority of humans suffer from. Agroecology, the growing of food in ways that are harmonious with ecological and human systems, offers a tremendous opportunity for us to grow healthful food in sufficient quantities for everyone.

By redirecting money to these two ventures, humanity can rather smoothly move to a much happier and healthier state. Fortunately, many of these efforts are underway. They just need to be supported and expanded.

Books by Members of the Knox Community In The Earth is Not For Sale, we thoroughly document which pathways “out” are productive and which are recipes for disaster.

Peter Schwartzman, associate professor of environmental studies, has taught at Knox since 1998. He has served as an alderman in Galesburg, co-founded two locally focused nonprofits, and served as a board member on many others. You can read his personal blog at onehuman.org.

David Schwartzman is Professor Emeritus at Howard University and is a biogeochemist and environmental scientist.

He is the author of Life, Temperature and the Earth (2002), and several recent papers in Capitalism Nature Socialism.

The Wonderful Whippet of Winifred Weatherwax Tivoli Press, 2018 philippa Cumming stasiuk ’96 Stasiuk tells the story of Winifred and her whippet, Shumba, as they navigate through the colorful world of dog shows.

But when Shumba begins to win and the other dogs start to disappear, Stasiuk skillfully unravels a mystery that includes dishonest dog breeding, a first crush, and the nefarious villain behind it all.

Wishbones What goal do you have for this book?

Folded Word, 2018 ben Moeller-gaa ’98

To clarify that humanity is at a pivotal moment in its history. We can’t keep doing what we are doing and think “all will be okay.” Rather than digging our heads in the sand, we need to acknowledge the amazing beneficial opportunities that lay before us. We need to champion them in any way we can. It is going to take a significant shift in paradigms to turn our “iceberg-bound” ship, but people all over the world are shifting conversations, perspectives, and budgets. The others, once informed, can contribute mightily to this effort.

Winner of The Haiku Foundation’s Touchstone Distinguished Book Award, Moeller-Gaa’s collection of haiku and senryu explores the unguarded space between a moment’s initiation and its resolution through evocative word choice, masterful turns, and a touch of humor. Whether his subjects are external or internal, wild or domestic, he shows us perspectives that never disappoint.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

37

Knox Writes The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon

The Majestic Nature of the North A Death at Tippitt Pond SUNY Press, 2019 (A Sweet Iron Mystery)

Post Hill Press, 2018 sandy hanna ’72

Michael armstrong ’70 and steven Walton

Encircle Publications 2019 susan Van Kirk ’68

As a military dependent who grew up in Saigon, Hanna brings together a unique combination of background and research to a coming-of-age story set in pre-war Vietnam.

Ten-year-old Sandy finds herself in a country where politics and intrigue reside between plot and counterplot, and where she finally comes face-to-face with the turbulent reality of Vietnam.

This compilation of illustrated nineteenth-century travel diaries of artist, educator, and architect Thomas Kelah Wharton provides an intimate glimpse into early American society.

Wharton’s travels in the lower Hudson River Valley, New Orleans, and Boston not only touch on encounters with other renowned artists, but also detail travel experiences and political tensions through his own faithful drawings of the era.

Four decades after the tragic murder of Melanie Tippitt, the tiny town of Sweet Iron is rocked by new revelations in that haunting case when Beth Russell, researcher and genealogist, challenges the truth about the shocking murder at Tippitt Pond. Her search for the truth sets in motion a chain of disturbing events that threatens her own life.

Radical Charity: How Generosity Can Save the World (And the Church)

Red Mountain Press 2019 Monica prince ’12

Nuts About Squirrels: The Rodents That Conquered Popular Culture McFarland, 2019 don Corrigan ’73 From Rocky the flying squirrel of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle to Conker and Squirrel Girl of video game fame, squirrels have seen an increased presence in mass media.

Corrigan, a journalism professor, examines how this came to be by looking at squirrel legends and tales that have informed contemporary popular culture.

38

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Cascade Books 2019 Christopher Marlin-Warfield ’00 Countering a movement in churches and nonprofits arguing that charity is toxic, MarlinWarfield weaves together research and scholarship on topics as diverse as biblical scholarship, Christian history, economics, and behavioral psychology to show how charity is the heart of Christianity and one of the most effective ways that we can help people who are living in poverty.

Instructions for Temporary Survival

Winner of the Red Mountain Discovery Award, Monica Prince’s poetry tackles historical trauma, racism, rape, and depression to explain that pain is meant to inform—not define—one’s life. Rather than ask us to live in a constant state of survival, or give up entirely, this collection shows the many ways we can save ourselves, while revealing the secrets that require a rescue in the first place.

Class Knox

Flashback SMC Construction With the re-imagining of the Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center underway (the opening of the renovated core of the building is slated for January 2020), we thought we’d look back to the building’s construction in 1971. What are your memories of this addition to campus in the early 1970s and what are your memories of studying science at Knox prior to the center’s construction? Let us know at knoxmag@knox.edu.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

39

Come Home to Knox for Homecoming 2019!

November 1-3

We Are Knox Homecoming 2018

40

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

PHOTOS BY PETER BAILLEY ’74, BREA CUNNINGHAM, TRISH TURNER, ISAIAH SMITH ’20

www.knox.edu/homecoming

Class Knox Alumni News

2018 Knox service award Winners • Susan Blew ’75 • Rob Clark ’95 • Cathy Kucik Heimann ’70

2018 Knox-lombard athletic hall of Fame inductees • George Bahorich ’50 • Amy Beuschlein ’89 • Jim Davis ’06 • Steve Walton ’74

2018 scroll of honor recipients • Sandra Allison Cooper ’64 • Karen Kuhfuss Koch ’62 • Greta Kallio Nagel ’66 Knox thanks everyone who submitted nominations for these awards.

Nominate a deserving friend or classmate! Visit www.knox.edu/nominate or contact alumni programs at 888-566-9265 or email alumni@knox.edu.

Many changes are afoot on the third floor of Alumni Hall, home to Knox’s alumni engagement offices, especially at the leadership level.

In February, the Office of Advancement welcomed Sarah Byrd in the new position of executive director of annual giving and alumni engagement. In this new role, she will provide strategic direction for fully integrating engagement and philanthropy among the Knox community by creating and maintaining pathways for alumni and other constituents to engage with the College as guests, lifelong learners, volunteers, and donors.

“Really great things are already happening at Knox and the potential to do even more is huge,” says Byrd. “I want to be a part of that.”

She comes to Knox with leadership experience in fundraising and alumni relations from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. Prior to joining academia, she worked in development and administration in the nonprofit sector. Byrd received her bachelor’s degree in English from Wittenberg University.

Meanwhile, longtime alumni relations director Carol Brown ’99 retired on June 30, 2019, after 25 years with the College. Well-known and well-beloved among the entire alumni community for her work coordinating the College’s annual Homecoming celebration, Brown looks forward to coming back to Knox as an alumna— though maybe not this year. “I hope to come and run in the Homecoming 5K on Saturday morning, but, because Homecoming was such a big part of my work, I think it’s best to let more time pass between being coordinator and participant.”

Future plans include some “bucket list” travel and the possibility of teaching sociology as an adjunct at Carl Sandburg College, as well as serving as “Uber driver” for granddaughter Lucy. “We are definitely staying in Galesburg—our friends and family are here, and we love the community!”

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

41

PETER BAILLEY ’74

As part of Knox’s traditional Homecoming celebrations, the College recognized several individuals for their accomplishments, teamwork, and service.

Expect Expanded Programming for Knox Alumni in Coming Months

BREA CUNNINGHAM

Knox Recognizes Notable Alumni at Homecoming 2018

EMMA FABERT '20

Alumni News

Students and Alumni Celebrate 25 Years of Winter Whiteout

PETER BAILLEY ’74

Meryl Davis ’19, co-captain of the Knox Ultimate Frisbee team, says her favorite part of the Winter Whiteout Tournament is watching people from a wide range of backgrounds play and celebrate together.

The Winter Whiteout Tournament, which takes place every February, honors Natalie Veneziano, a Knox alumna who passed away shortly after her graduation in 1998.

During the two-day tournament, the current Knox Ultimate team competes with a team of returning alumni and teams from other nearby colleges.

Davis described how, on the first morning of the tournament, players from all teams gathered in one circle.

“We celebrate the idea of Frisbee, the spirit of the game,” Davis said. In the “Spirit Circle,” every player gets to say who they are, what school they’re from, and how many Whiteout Tournaments

42

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

they’ve attended. One Knox alum, Ned Earley ’96, has been present at all 25.

This year, the teams also attended a banquet in observance of the 25th anniversary of the tournament. There, alumni shared stories about Veneziano, announced an endowed fund in her honor, and said that Veneziano would be proud of the community that the Knox Frisbee team is today.

“I think the perception of us on campus is that we’re together all the time,” Davis said. “You come into the cafeteria and we’re all sitting together. But what you also have to know is that we come from everywhere, and anyone can join.”

“Really [our inclusivity] ties into the whole idea of Ultimate, which is good sportsmanship,” she said. As an example of the “spirit of Ultimate,” Davis described how Ultimate matches are self-governed. The players don’t have referees.

“If you think you’ve been fouled or some other violation of the game has happened, you talk to the other team,

PETER BAILLEY ’74

BY TRICIA DUKE ’19

and depending on what they say and what happens, you make a decision together,” she said.

An important aspect of playing on the Knox Ultimate team, where members come from a range of backgrounds and experience levels, is learning to work with people who are different.

“It absolutely adds a depth to the team that we wouldn’t have otherwise,” Davis said. “The welcoming culture— it’s what I loved at my first practice.

And this tournament shows us that this isn’t just a four-year thing, it’s a community we can come back to again and again.”

To support the Natalie Veneziano Ultimate Frisbee Endowed Fund, which supports current needs of the Knox team, visit knox.edu/ultimatefrisbee.

Class Knox Alumni returning to campus for the sixth annual Career Impact Summit offered students advice about navigating life after Knox and helped them polish skills they will need for both their job search and careers.

A dozen Knox alumni and nearly 100 students participated in the summit, organized by the Knox College Bastian Family Career Center and sponsored by the John D. Carlin Career Development Support Fund.

The event featured keynote speakers, networking opportunities, and breakout sessions covering more than a dozen topics, including careers in technology, the role of personal values in the job search, and preparing for an interview. In a wide-ranging question-and-answer session, alumni talked about such matters as de-stressing, establishing a work/life balance, and dealing with coworkers.

Nhi Nguyen ’19 said she especially enjoyed a “speed networking” session that involved all students and alumni “because it really taught me how to create a 30-second elevator pitch.”

The alumni presentations often highlighted the value of a liberal arts education.

A Knox education, in particular, “can literally give you the world,” Jeff Gipson ’94 told students in his session, “Using Your Liberal Arts Education in the Real World.” He said employers want to hire people with the skills that students develop here, such as critical thinking, strong oral and written communication, ability to work collaboratively, and intercultural fluency.

In her presentation, “Creating a Competitive Advantage: Becoming Career Ready,” Jess Drew ’07 encouraged students to think about their talents, experiences, and education and then to consider what would be most relevant to potential employers. “Figure out what kind of life you want to live and how a job will fit into that life,” she said.

One of the biggest takeaways for Leela Yeleswarapu ’19 came from the closing presentation by Ryan Cannady ’99. Thanks to his remarks, she said, she now understands that instead of comparing herself with others, “I need to look within myself and focus on my own growth.”

BREA CUNNINGHAM

Alumni Offer Advice at Career Impact Summit

Alumni Participants Aparna Kumar Boehm ’12, UX Researcher, Zillow Group April Morgan ’04, Chief Attorney, Chicago Transit Authority David Koh ’86, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Disorder Physician, Advocate Medical Group Eric Williams ’85, Founder and President, Williams Chiropractic Center Jeffrey Gipson ’94, Senior Product Manager, Emerging Products at PULSE Jessica Drew ’07, Human Resources Generalist, Cure SMA Joshua Cox ’07, Research Associate, Education Development Center Keshia Gipson ’95, School Psychologist, Illinois School District #25 Malinda Riley ’93, Senior Principal, Korn Ferry Hay Group Michael Gilbert ’99, Senior Vice President, Commercial Finance, BankFinancial Ryan Cannady ’99, Vice President, Sales, Deere Employees Credit Union Valerie Jencks ’84, Executive Director, Prairie Family Therapy

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

43

“We share Buddhist meditation practice as astrological Geminis and remai

1940–1942 Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1943 We are Knox.

You are, too.

Whether you attended Knox for one year, two years, or graduated with honors, you are a Knox alumnus/a. You are the best reflection of Knox College and the education it provides. So, keep us informed. Tell us what you’ve been up to, if you’ve been promoted or honored, or simply say hello. Here’s how: • Contact your Class Correspondent; • If you don’t have a correspondent, email, call, or “snail mail” us directly (see below); • Or have other media sources send us press releases, articles, and publicity.

Please send information about births, marriages, and deaths directly to: Alumni Records Knox College, Box K-230 Galesburg, IL 61401-4999 Email: records@knox.edu Send all other updates, correspondence, or questions to: Pam Chozen Class Notes Editor, Knox Magazine Knox College, Box K-233 Galesburg, IL 61401-4999 Email: pachozen@knox.edu Please note that Class Notes may be edited for space.

In early December, Art Holst reported that he and Elizabeth were in Fort Myers for the winter.

He was very excited to be traveling to Philadelphia the next day. He wrote, “I will be honored at the Army-Navy Game in Philadelphia on Saturday, December 8. There are about a dozen veterans invited from various wars, and I will be the only one from World War II. This is not for any heroism on my part; it is rather that I am a survivor of that long-ago conflict. As I go, I will remember, among others, my Knox classmates who are the real heroes and gave their lives in defense of freedom and to stamp out the evil that was threatening our world. Those of us who are still living need to keep the ‘light of memory’ burning. On a more personal note, I am now 96 and still play nine holes of golf as often as I can.

Between Elizabeth and me, we have 10 children, 22 grandchildren, and 28 great-grandchildren, and still counting. I feel privileged to have matriculated at Knox College, and I am thankful for the rich and wonderful memories.” Sadly, I learned that Art passed away less than two weeks after receiving the recognition at the Army-Navy game. ❯ News from Tom Howes includes a family reunion in November on the occasion of his 97th birthday. He was joined by his son and family from London, England, daughter Lynda and her husband from Calgary, and his nephew from Nevada. He reports he had a great birthday. He’s especially proud of his son and his grandchildren and credits their success to a good education, starting with his own at Knox College.

Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1944 Barbara Lemke writes, “One of the fires in Southern California forced me to evacuate my house. Fortunately, it was only an overnight stay.

In a few days, the evacuation order for my area was lifted. No houses burned near me, and for that, I am grateful. My health remains about the same. I am getting physical therapy for my balance as I have had several falls and had to call Life Alert because I couldn’t get up. Best wishes to all my classmates.”

Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1945 Russ Freeburg has been busy writing in the past year. He says he started the New Year with the

44

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

publication in February of his memoir, Inside the Front Page. He writes, “It’s the story of my quarter of a century in journalism as a reporter, Washington bureau chief, and managing editor of the Chicago Tribune in a disruptive and changing media world that saw newspapers’ dominance surmounted by first television and then the digital age. Sadly, the strong and powerful newspaper industry that I knew and loved is fading away. I write about the presidents I covered. The book isn’t just about my career, however. I tell how I met Sally Woodford ’48 at Knox after World War II and married her. One chapter tells how Sally, despite the Cold War, coaxed the Russians into opening their embassy to the public for an afternoon to raise money for her women’s club charity for handicapped children. She suspected that thousands of people would come to unlock the mystery of what was behind the always shuttered windows of the building that was home to the USA’s philosophical enemy, and they did.

Now, I’m in my mid-nineties, and Sally is gone.

Still, Knox and our time there linger pleasantly with me.”

Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1946–1947 Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1948 Jim Moser writes, “As time marches on, my current activity is reduced, but a bit of my time is spent in working with other Kodakers to record the company’s activities in covert aerial and space programs during the Cold War for the National Reconnaissance Office. Aside from that, memories of former activities are increasingly present.

Many begin at Knox, which provided a true basic education, not just the vocational training for a successful career that many current schools offer today. The development of an inquiring mind and exposure to history, philosophy, literature, social studies, and the arts provide an essential and valuable base for our lives and careers. Many other memories concern life’s events and travels and have been saved in length by pictures and writing. My 39-year career at Kodak provided unlimited access to film, and I took advantage of it. Our travels in the U.S. and Europe have been described in detail and at great length, providing an insight to the places and cultures we enjoyed.

Reading them brings them back, and adds to the pleasures of life in a fine senior facility with a number of friends. Hopefully many of my fellow alumni are as fortunate.”

Class Correspondent: Sidney E. Norris 3135 Agate Street, Eugene, OR 97405, 541-683-6160, senorris@comcast.net

Class Knox

in ever -curious and thrilled in our natural world.” —Bill Thompson ’51

1949 From Sid Norris ’48 came the news that Jim Turner passed away in late December.

Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1950 Bob Thompson says he still lives in the house he bought 30 years ago in beautiful Park City, Utah.

Of course, Park City is an old mining city turned major ski and summer resort. He says though there are many challenges living in a house at his age, he and his wife plan to stay here until “we’re carried out the front door.” Because of a fall last summer that injured his shoulder, he goes to therapy twice a week for the foreseeable future.

He still drives, at least until he has to renew his license, but he’s not worried about it. Bob sends his very best to all his old friends and classmates. ❯ Bob Willett writes, “In October, son Tom and I went to Chengdu, China, to see a statue of my cousin, Jimmie Browne, MIA from WWII. We had been looking for a solution to his disappearance, but his life caught the attention of museum owner Fan Jiangshan, and we were able to give him a photo of Jim that resulted in the creation of a bust. It is in the Square of Chivalrous Friends of China at the Jiangshan Museum in Anuran. The museum actually has 30 separate museums plus several series of statues, a really fantastic place. After our museum stay, we met with the Shenzhen Longue Charitable Foundation, a Chinese group that seeks Chinese MIAs from WWII. To our surprise, they offered to do a search for Jim’s remains in the wreckage that we discovered in 2011. Our government has not authorized any search, so this Foundation was the answer to our many efforts to bring Jim home. So it was a great trip!”

Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1951 Bill Thompson wrote to me shortly after my plea for news in mid-December. He wrote: “I live in a beautiful hillside home overlooking the Jacoby Creek Valley with open space and organic farm land protected by the Jacoby Creek Land Trust.

My first marriage ended with me parenting four children, until June Miller, a teaching colleague and friend, joined me in parenting a confused brood to adulthood. June died in 2013. Presently, I am partnered with Jane Riggan, an extraordinary woman a dozen years younger than my 89 years. We share Buddhist meditation practice as astrological Geminis and remain ever-curious and thrilled in our natural world. I have the best eyeglasses, dental replacements, and hearing aids and, just recently, a pacemaker to help regulate a damaged heart. I am happy to be living and lov-

ing.” In early January, I received a call from Scott Kensel, son of Bob ’51 and Jo Ann Hickey Kensel Ward ’51, that Bill passed away peacefully in his sleep on Christmas Eve. Scott has kept in contact with many of his parents Knox friends, including Bill, through the years. He also received a letter from Bill just before the holidays. ❯ Jay Burgess emailed that he and Shay love the Southwest Florida lifestyle, but that he has been hospitalized a few times recent months.

The couple are pondering options for assisted living. Jay sends his love to his classmates and friends in the Class of 1951.

Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1952 Correction: In the last Knox Magazine, we inadvertently printed that Ann Carlson Carnahan was still looking for an elusive “hole-in-one.” She is actually on a mission to achieve her 10th holein-one, as she has already made nine! ❯ John Cooke is fully involved in a project that will help operate and market a coop in the driftless area of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. This is an area that escaped the glaciers in the last ice age. The purpose of the organization is to protect the lands for current and future use, preserve the stories of its people going back some 15,000 years, and to promote the values and enterprises of its people in the future. John says the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is on board to help with this project. ❯ Deane Doolen stopped by the Alumni Relations office in mid-December while he was in Galesburg on business. Yes, he’s still working at 88!

Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1953 Rod Boynton still lives in Morton, Illinois, with his wife, Sara. He says they do not travel anymore, mostly because Sara was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease four years ago.

Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1954 Once again our notes begin with sad news: the passing of two classmates. Lynne Gutstein Turcotte writes that her father, Walter Gutstein, died October 17, 2018, “after a valiant and fierce 14-month battle with pancreatic cancer. My dad just loved Knox and was very proud of it. Both he and my uncle, Robert Gutstein ’51, have shared their experiences there with both pride and happiest memories of friends and professors.” Most likely that influenced Walt’s grandson—Lynne’s high school senior son—who has been accepted

to enter Knox. ❯ News of Dan Carmichael’s death on August 2, 2018, comes from daughter Sarah, who says that Dan loved reliving the stories, songs, and mischief of his time at Knox and the Beta House. After earning a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University in 1963, he worked as a teacher and administrator in schools in Chicago’s south suburbs until 1988. Retirement activity included refurbishing a house on the shores of Lake Superior near Ironwood, Michigan, backcountry canoeing, and expressing his views on social justice issues, education, gun control, and universal healthcare in letters to the Ironwood Daily Globe. ❯ Mac Small writes that he has good memories even though he had only two years at Knox. That led to admission to the Michigan School of Law and a 50-plus-year career as a business attorney and military judges advocate. “With my writer wife, Maryellen (Mel) Walsh, I have retired to the Sierra Foothills in Grass Valley, California, where we feed birds and watch nature.” ❯ After many years in the San Francisco Bay area, Janet Wagner Rafferty has relocated to Bellevue, Washington, says she’s doing fine, and reports an interesting “small world” story. Janet has four children; the youngest, Mary, is married to Majdi Haroun, an executive with a new startup company, Thought Works, with an office in Seattle. On a recent business trip to Peoria, Majdi got into an airport taxi whose driver said it was his last trip for the day as he had to drive 50 miles to the small town where he lived. “What town is that?” Majdi asked, mentioning that his mother-in-law was from the area. The town was Galesburg, the driver said, asking if the mother-in-law’s father had worked for the railroad. Told yes, the driver immediately said Janet’s name and that she was remembered very favorably in Galesburg. Janet was very pleased to hear that. ❯ Other Galesburg natives hope we also are favorably remembered.

Galesburg High was located on the South Broad Street block now occupied by city offices, and of the 315 graduates in 1950, more than 30 crossed Standish Park to become the Knox Class of 1954.

Janet and I were among that group as were the next four names to appear here. ❯ Bob Windish writes that one of the nicest things that happened to him and Diane last year was when the Fifty Year Club’s Megan Clayton remembered their 60th wedding anniversary in September. As he reads in the magazine and FYC Bulletin the names of people he has not seen for many years, Bob appreciates their contribution to making his years at Knox among the happiest days of his life. ❯ Betty Darnell Nelson sent her mother’s Lombard College scrapbook to FYC’s Megan, who says that it should have some interest to those who have heard of the connection between Lombard and Knox. Lombard did not survive the Great Depression, but I recall that its alumni were “adopted” by Knox. ❯ Donald Dool writes that he has had one back surgery but still has some problems. I could only advise him that my spinal decompression surgery last September

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

45

Stan Anton ’56 and wife Jenny have moved from Naples, Florida, (their appears to have been successful, relieving most pain and allowing me to resume some activities that I had had to give up. Don hopes to make another of his trips to South America in the spring.

He continues to stay active with his numismatic pursuits, writing a more-or-less monthly column for World Coin News, attending three local coin club meetings each month, and exhibiting at least once a year at a national convention. ❯ As for collecting, I’ve known Jack Bandy since high school but only recently has he told me that he has collected corkscrews for 50-plus years and, since 1977, been a member of a group of 50 collectors from around the globe. Collecting corkscrews not exciting? “In our last auction in November,” Jack says, “one sold for $23,000! And in private sales, they’ve sold for much more.” A really fun and interesting hobby, Jack says, that also has brought travel to Europe, Canada, Australia and many U.S. states since meetings alternate between member countries. ❯ My final comment: I collect books, P.G. Wodehouse among others, while my wife is a secondary market shopper and collector on her bicycle; I no longer build walls of shelves to hold our collections.

Class Correspondent: Jim Dunlevey 27419 Embassy Street, Menifee, CA 92586-2005, dunlevey@aol.com

1955 By the time you read this, you will have learned to write 2019 on your checks and broken all your New Year’s resolutions. (Maybe I’m just speaking for myself.) It’s January as I write this, so much of my news is scrounged from your Christmas cards. ❯ Ward Knockemus and Evy celebrated the holidays as they did in 2017, by renting a condo on Dauphin Island near Mobile Bay in Alabama. Two of their three sons and their families joined them. Their twin granddaughters were separated for the first time in the fall when one went off to Winthrop University, in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and the other to the College of Charleston. They’re both liberal arts colleges— good choices! That must have been a difficult adjustment. Ward had fond memories of classmates he read about in the last ’55 class notes: Lynn Weiss Victor, chem lab; Jackie Geis Treece, around campus; and ROTC buddies Jim Lockett, Al Paulus, and George Elliott. He, like Bob Hope, sends thanks for the memories. ❯ Colonel (ret.) George Elliot remembers ROTC as a big influence in his life. He served 22 years in the Army after graduation and regrets that Knox has dropped ROTC, because the program creates leaders. George and his daughter planned to go to South Padre Island for the month of February again this year. They attend the Chapel by the Sea while they are there and have a hard time finding a parking place—the sign of a good church. ❯ Another example of a classmate’s life influenced by his years in ROTC follows: Paul Johnson, Wally Larkin, Tony Liberta, Jim

46

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Jones, and the late Bob Burden established a scholarship in Pete Hosutt’s honor shortly after his death in 2007. They met as freshmen and became fast friends, keeping in touch over the years.

After enrolling in ROTC and graduating four years later, Pete spent three years in the 11th Airborne in Germany, where he met his wife, Ruth.

They returned to the Midwest, and Pete entered Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston. He re-entered the Army as a chaplain, served in Vietnam, then later at West Point, and retired as a full colonel. In civilian life, he served a large church in Olmsted, Ohio, and later, an inner city church in Cleveland, where he remained until his death.

Pete dedicated his life to helping others. Amazingly, the scholarship fund continues to grow in value, and the most recent scholarship recipient received $11,000. As Paul said in his email, a true Knox story. ❯ In December, Paul Johnson reported that he and Pat were enjoying golf in Arizona’s beautiful weather. Bud Wharton and I miss the Friday afternoon scrambles here. Neither of us can swing a club any more…sorry to say. Bud has painful arthritis, and I have balance issues. We don’t dance anymore either. Over the years we enjoyed dancing like no one was watching: happy memories. ❯ Another story of a 68year-old friendship is the infamous Round Robin of the 1951 Tri Delta pledge class. I don’t know whose idea it was, but 12 of us started the robin’s journey after graduation, and, of course, the numbers have dwindled over the years. We are now a group of five who still send our letters in a continuing flight. Diane Ridge Odgon, Stevens Point, Wisconsin; Gail Holmes Curtis, Flossmoor, Illinois, and Stuart Florida; Carol Boldt Bentsen, Arlington Heights, Illinois; Lynn Weise Victor, Corvallis, Oregon; and I, in Stuart, Florida, have shared our joys and sorrows over the years and share many precious memories.

Three of us married Knox grads. Another true Knox story. ❯ Wally Larkin and Sue, intrepid travelers, were in Kinderdijk, The Netherlands; Wachenheim, Germany; Hong Kong; Montreux, Switzerland; and Catalina Island, California; last year. There may have been more trips, but those were as many as would fit on their Christmas card. ❯ Bill Ives reports that he and Virginia scaled back their travels this year. In May, they were in Paris and in Peru in November. He says he has had to lower his expectations in regard his golf game. Bud and I have had to lower our expectation in regard to everything! Bill lost his brother, Army Major Bob Ives, who was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. A very impressive ceremony. ❯ Don ’53 and Gail Holmes Curtis had a very busy week when their three great-grands, along with their parents, came for a visit to Stuart last fall.

Granddaughter Kelsey married in Chicago during the summer, and many of their clan came to Florida for Christmas. A very full scheduled, happy year. ❯ We heard from John Clark’s widow Jean Martin Clark ’57. She and their daughter, Beth, escaped smokey Sacramento,

California, during the terrible fires last summer to their cabin near Donner Lake. There was no smoke or fires at 6,500 feet altitude, thank goodness. ❯ I am so sorry to have to tell you of the death of JoAnn Nystrom Reiners in October.

JoAnn was a talented musician with a sweet personality. Jack Reiners ’56 was a devoted caregiver for nine years as her dementia progressed.

He and their family were fortunate to have her as a wife, mother, and grandmother. A bright light of last year was the arrival of two great-grandsons—one named after him. ❯ Roland Peaslee’s wife, Bonnie, died in October, too. Many of us met her at Homecomings and remember what a lovely lady she was. She fought cancer bravely for many years, supported by Roland and their four children. He wrote a very touching final poem for her. He had written more than 100 poems to her for special occasions during their 58-year marriage. I’m sure the family treasures them all. ❯ Sara Wells Pennington died last year in Pottersville, New Jersey. She was Teacher of the Year one year in her school district. Bud remembers being in a pre-med biology class with her, where he and Ken Fitchner delighted in playing practical jokes on her. She had a great sense of humor and was a good friend. ❯ Bob Albrecht’s widow, Gina, sent pictures of their children and grandchildren. She lives in D.C., as does Jim Albrecht ’54’s daughter, Ann, and her family. Jim lives nearby, in Chevy Chase. ❯ Our youngest granddaughter and her husband live in D.C. Another granddaughter is newly engaged, and our daughter, Sarah, will soon retire as our county attorney.

It is a very early retirement because we are too young to have a retired child. ❯ I am way over my word limit so will cease. Thanks so much for giving me all this grist for my mill….even though some of it is very sad. Here’s to a safe and healthy 2019.

Class Correspondent: Dorothy Thomas Wharton 3511 S.E. Fairway West, Stuart, FL 34997-6033, 772-220-9433, dtwharton33@gmail.com

1956 Evidently the request for news by the January deadline found folks still recovering from the holidays because the response was minimal. Let’s make up for that when the next news deadline arrives! ❯ Stan Anton and wife Jenny’s big news is that, at the end of January, they moved from Naples, Florida, (their home of almost 12 years) to Portland, Oregon. Daughter Georgina’s job with Under Armour has been transferred there, and they wanted to stay together as a family.

They are excited about the challenge of cooler weather, particularly in the summer, and the opportunity to visit Oregon’s wineries and to ski on Mount Hood. I’m delighted to welcome another Knox ’56 alum to this state, and Jenny assures me they are prepared for our wet winters. Their new mailing address is 5006 Foothills Road, #1, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97034, effective February 1. ❯

Class Knox home of almost 12 years) to Portland, Oregon.

Jack Reiners writes that for the 2018-19 year once again the Class of ’56 scholarship goes to Yvette Rodriguez from Alta Loma, California.

Yvette is a psychology major with a double minor in educational policy and social service. She also was named to the Midwest Conference’s all-conference women’s soccer team in the fall of 2017.

For the fiscal year of 2018, the market value of the fund was $68,678, with a generated income of $2,815. ❯ Russ and Shirley Surta Scott had 17 family members join them for Christmas dinner—as Shirley remarked, a “tight fit” around the dinner table. Bob and I had a similar number; all of our daughters (a.k.a. the “Fabulous Five”) and their families joined us for the holiday, a special and rare treat. ❯ As always, class news is very appreciated.

Class Correspondent: Ricky Jung Schwarzler 854 Cessna Street, Independence OR 97351, schwarzler@msn.com

1957 How nice to hear from Ron Larson. He and wife Polly split their time between Bethesda, Maryland, in the summer and Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, in the winter. The couple celebrated their 51st anniversary in December 2018. They were also recently blessed with another grandchild, which makes eight. Ron says he enjoys time with his family, playing golf and bridge, and reading and conversing with others. ❯ It was also great to have a long message from John Deets.

He writes, “I went to work for General Dynamics Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas, upon graduation. Worked in the flight test department on the B-58 Hustler. Joined a flying club while working there and took flying lessons. Left General Dynamics in 1961 thinking I would go into the music ministry, influenced as a result of singing in a quartet at the North Fort Worth Baptist Church. Attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for two fall semesters in 1961 and 1962. Left the seminary, met and married my wife, Alta Ann Biffle, in August 1963. She was an elementary school teacher. I attended Arlington State College for three semesters, graduating with a degree in electrical technology. Went to work for Howell Instruments in 1965, where I stayed 35 years, working a couple of years as an electrical technician and the remaining time as a technical writer. The Lord has blessed us with three children, six grandchildren, and one greatgrandchild. I sing in the church worship choir, a senior choir, a barbershop chorus called Southwest Sound, and a chorale flash group at DFW airport, where I have volunteered as an airport ambassador once a week since 2000. We live in North Richland Hills, a suburb of Fort Worth. I didn’t live on campus when I attended Knox College, so I didn’t have a lot of close friends in the student body. I graduated from Galesburg High School in 1953.” ❯ Trevor Winebright proudly writes, “My granddaughter, Kristin Nicoletti Shehata, was inducted into the St Louis

University Hall of Fame February 16. As a softball player, she set multiple career records, and most still stand. I remember one game played at Southern Illinois University. Their catcher was Samanta Stanicek, granddaughter of Frank and the late Gretchen Hass Stanicek ’58. I missed the opportunity to take a picture of the two of them.”

Class Correspondent: Megan Clayton Knox College, Box K-210, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401, 309-341-7476, pclayton@knox.edu

1958

Greetings, Class of 1958! ❯ Starr Kirklin wrote, “While visiting in Florida, I had the opportunity to have dinner with Will Cravens ’57 and wife Barbara. While we had not known each other well at Knox, I enjoyed the chance to get to know both and reminisce about our Knox days.” ❯ Letitia Luther Schactner wrote the magazine shortly after the holidays: “I have been corresponding with Raoul Anderson’s daughter.

Cindy attended several of our Reunions and was wondering about any upcoming events. She gave me a little update on her dad. Raoul is retired and resides in St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada, with his wife, Irene, and three children in the area.

He’s the proud grandpa of nine. The eldest appears to have the research and exploration bug, too, and is in India on a work term. Raoul has written several publications related to fisheries, coastal peoples, and anthropology, as well as accomplishing a great teaching and research career. ❯ She adds, “December has been a difficult month for us. Nubs Schactner ’55 suffered a stroke in early December and has been in Heartland, where he fell and hit his head. He’s done therapy and is getting better. We hope he will be able to come home in mid-January, but I know it will be difficult for both of us. Right now, I don’t have the time to devote to this column—as you know, classmates are slow to volunteer information without prodding!” ❯ So this is our call to you—is anyone able to take over the 1958 Class Notes column? Please email Pam Chozen at pachozen@knox.edu or Megan Clayton, FYC coordinator, at pclayton@knox.edu. In the meantime, please feel free to share your news with us directly; we always love to hear from you. ❯ Meanwhile, we extend best wishes to Letitia and Nubs. We’re so grateful for their long service and dedication to the College.

Class Correspondent: TBD

1959 Class Correspondent: Louise Bost Wolf 3 Gilbert Park, Knoxville, IL 61448, 309-337-6435 (cell), wolfl@grics.net

1960 Contrary to his comment that he is “not the newsiest guy,” Bob Bennett shared a lot of news.

“Last week Chuck Hurmence, Ken Townsend, and I got together outside of Washington, D.C., for a mini-reunion—wives, too: Bettye Hurmence, Dianne Mitchell Townsend, and Lynne Bennett. We missed Ken and Dianne’s daughter, who was out of town on business. All except Bettye are 80 or seriously pushing it, so it was not a wild party, just quiet conversation and staying in touch. Except for a few hip and knee surgeries and some other random surgeries, all are well.

Chuck and Bettye live in Warwick, New York.

Charlie (to Ken and I) still plays golf a few times a week, and Bettye does serious needlepoint and is a doting grandmother. They can tell you more if they wish. Ken and Dianne live in Fairfax, Virginia. They have a second home in Michigan near daughter Laurie Townsend Rhodes ’91 and their granddaughter. They, too, can tell you more if they wish. Lynne and I live in Sarasota, Florida.

I play some golf and work on a few committees at our club. Lynne does some crocheting for the troops and ‘crack’ babies. We love Sarasota’s theatre and entertainment scene. Absence of snow does not hurt either. Both our boys, daughters-in-law, and adult grandchildren are up north.

This has been a really busy Knox year for me. 1) I made the March FYC luncheon in Sarasota and met with fraternity brothers Starr Kirklin and Bob Moist and their wives. Ella Major Morin ’61 was the meeting host. Always good to catch up with old friends. 2) In September, I went to Chicago and played golf with Bill Beanblossom, Jim Valentine ’61, Bob Schmid ’62, George Matkov ’64, Bill Fay ’61, and John Heyer ’68, plus a few others. Bob and Barb Cady Schmid ’62 hosted a dinner that also included Mary Kent Knight, Karl and Barb Fowler Nagel ’59, Bob Kucik ’62, Wally Jensen, and a few wives and friends of Knox. Once again, great to catch up.” ❯ Travel updates: My Class Correspondent predecessor, Dick Riggs, wrote, “Emma and I took a 17-day land and sea tour of Alaska and Canada in July. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Beautiful flowers, vast landscapes, and animals in their homes.” ❯ Mary Lu Hudson Aft and I enjoyed the magical sights, sounds, colors, and, sometimes smells, of India. Please send information on your travels for our next issue.

Class Correspondent: Dick Aft aftd@fuse.net or 775 Windings Lance, Cincinnati, OH 45220

1961 Hello, Classmates of 1961! We were delighted to receive news from several of you. To those of you who did not write, you may do so at any time.

But please do so! ❯ This came from Phil Burgess: “Back in 2011, I wrote ‘Reboot: What to do when your career is over but your life isn’t.’

The theme: It’s better to wear out than rust out… and I’m walking the talk by wearing out—more with each passing year. Since 2012, I’ve written ‘Bonus Years,’ a weekly column in The Annapolis Capital-Gazette about ‘successful aging,’ where I

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

47

To prove he is still invincible, Jim Horner ’62 qualified for a mixed celebrate the lives of men and women in their post-career years. My columns now number 220 and counting. It’s a great privilege to tell the stories of so many remarkable people in their later life. Last year, wife Mary Sue and I joined longtime friends from New Mexico on a spectacular trip to Alaska, beginning in Vancouver and ending in Fairbanks at a kennel where they train dogs for the Iditarod, the 900-plus mile Anchorage to Nome dog race. Though I’ve been to ‘mainland’ Alaska many times over the years, including Prudhoe Bay in the Arctic, I’ve never visited the lower peninsula (e.g., Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Glacier Bay), and it was spectacular— the scenery, the natural history, and the social and economic history, especially the gold rush of 1896. As the new year gets underway, I write this from our Estero Island home in Southwest Florida. We are typically here from January through March, but since the arrival of granddaughters Adelyn (3) and Lilly (1), who live in Washington, D.C., with their parents, we limit our days to January so we can be back in Annapolis to do our weekly babysitting duties. Otherwise, the girls would miss us, and we wouldn’t want that to happen. This summer, we will be in the London area for the wedding of son Ben to a lovely English lady, also a consultant at Accenture. That also means I will miss next summer’s annual game day with classmate Dan Martin at the Washington Nationals Stadium when the Nats play the Colorado Rockies.” ❯ Ralph Morrison apologized for the length of his submission, but we’re delighted to receive everything. On occasion we have to edit, because there is a space limitation, but don’t hold back. From Ralph: “I saw two notes in Knox Magazine. First, the library fire. I remember the radio news saying that there was a water problem, but that if a major fire could be avoided until midnight, everything would be fine. Like so many other people, I went to the fire late in the evening. My lasting memory is seeing a fireman drag his heavy hose to the top of the huge extension ladder and watching water just drip from the nozzle. As was noted, a lot of value documents were lost—some from Lincoln. The second story is the re-enactment of the Lincoln-Douglas debate. My Sigma Nu fraternity brother, Rich Sokup ’60, played Douglas. It rained torrentially all day. I watched for a while then went to the union and watched on TV. Carl Sandburg was there doing some Prairie Years stuff with his guitar, and an artist was sculpting a bust of him. Years later, our family was visiting the Chicago Historical Society with our two young sons. The boys were fooling around and almost knocked a bust of Sandburg off a pedestal. The other dad grabbed it. Guess where and when the bust was sculpted? (I also remember watching another debate re-enactment while living in Bend, Oregon, years later. It rained all day that time as well.) After living all over the country, my wife of 54 years, Elaine, and I reside in McHenry, Illinois. Love to see any of Knoxmates from around 1961.” ❯ And we’re proud to include kudos to Barbara Lee Fay for

48

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

being chosen one of “70 Over 70” who are Making a Difference. Barb and husband Bill Fay live in Overland Park, Kansas—a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. Her profile reads, “‘Visionary’ Barb Fay’s dedication to volunteerism, community service, music, and the arts inspires others every day. An elder at Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church, Barb headed the church’s outreach and mission committee, providing leadership in identifying needs locally and beyond, and distributing donated goods and services to more than 15 nonprofit organizations annually. She works with committees that bring free concerts to the church and partners with professional artists and educators to strengthen community arts programs. She’s also a member of The Coterie Theatre’s advisory committee, the Shepherd’s Center’s 50 Forward committee, and secretary for the Lexington, Missouri, Auditorium Association. And somehow this wife of 57 years, mother of five, grandmother of 14, and great-grandmother of one, finds time to be a reading tutor for a young girl in her neighborhood.” ❯ And, finally, Suella received a note from Gary Sweatman, who wrote that he started with our class but after two years transferred to University of Illinois. After two years there and no degree, he joined the U.S. Army and served three years as a combat photographer. He re-enrolled at Knox in September 1964 and graduated in June 1965. He then earned an M.A. at the Teachers College of Columbia University in 1966. He and his wife Connie reside in Gosport, Indiana, and have three children, four grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.

Class Correspondents: Susan Shea Worthington 1611 South Street, Lexington, MO 64067-1431, 660-259-4559, ssworth@centurylink.net Ella Major Morin 11234 54th Avenue N., St. Petersburg, FL 33708-2949, 727-290-6984, ellanell1963@yahoo.com

1962

Greetings from the Class of ’62! ❯ Gerry Elfline is glad to add to the list of fun things that Knox “seniors” do. “We will go to Tasmania, Australia, to the wedding of Caitie Davie, our granddaughter. Her mom is Ann Elfline Davie ’83. It is something like our 13th trip ‘Down Under,’ and what fun to make it a wedding. Other than that, one day, we will really retire, as we still run a small precision gear shop and have too much fun to completely hang it up.” ❯ Jim Horner shares that he is a certified “geezer.” Jim assigns his spirituality to get him through a challenging year with prostate cancer, complete with radiation and hormone therapy. To prove he is still invincible, he qualified for a mixed doubles tennis match with wife Pam, did a men’s backpack trip, and joined a fitness club. ❯ Lynda Hungerford has moved from her home north of the San Francisco area, which was in one of the areas threatened with the recent California fires, to an apartment

in Lake Merritt, close to Oakland. “It is refreshing to be back in the city after so many years, especially since two toddler grandchildren and their parents are a 10-minute drive away.” ❯ Lee and Alexandra Houston Benham ’61 continue to work with young scholars who are trying to understand how economic performance in countries around the world can be improved. Their most recent workshop was in Bratislava, the lovely capital of Slovakia. “Our programs are only 5-1/2 days long, but much is achieved in helping the scholars ask clearer, more important questions and communicate their results effectively.” ❯ Claire Bradshaw Burr and husband George have retired after 30 years as co-organists at Culver City Presbyterian and 20 years at Covenant Presbyterian Church in California to build a beautiful home in the countryside of Cottontown, Tennessee. They now split their time between California and Tennessee. “Our five children and 12 grandchildren gather for yearly reunions in either Tennessee or in California. We found a ‘new’ church in Tennessee and have been called to fill in for their pianist, so I’m still keeping my fingers in it!” ❯ Cynthia Morse Latta splits her time between Massachusetts and St. Augustine, Florida. Kate Calvert Bloomberg and Cynthia shared a breakfast in Florida as Kate and partner Scott Dryburgh flew up from The Villages with friends on their small airplane to see the Lights of St. Augustine. ❯ Your class correspondent, Kate Calvert Bloomberg, wintered in The Villages, Florida, and plans to summer in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Class Correspondent: Kate Bloomberg hankandkate@msn.com

1963 Class Correspondent: Ramona Reed Landberg 21500 Baltic Drive, Cornelius, NC 28031, 704-892-4637, landberg.group@outlook.com

1964 Due to an editorial oversight, notes submitted by the Class of 1964 did not appear in the fall 2018 issue.

We sincerely regret the error. We begin this column with the last fall’s entries, followed by the latest news and updates.

Leslie Nauta writes: “Retired from real estate after 48 years! Now, new ‘career’ as an artist doing acrylics, pastels, etc., and participating in exhibits. Also, finished my first crime novel and soon to be published! And golf, golf, bridge, and Mah-jongg!” [Speaking of applying one’s liberal arts!] ❯ Steve Gamble: “The Gambles now live full time in Cordillera, Colorado. Last summer, three generations and extended family gathered in Washington, D.C. Grace and I love revisiting D.C., where we met, were married, and had our first child.” ❯ Pam Norton Nelson spent two weeks in Hawaii in April on four different islands BEFORE the volcano erupted and the U.S.S.

Class Knox doubles tennis match, did a men’s backpack trip, and joined a fitness club.

Arizona Memorial showed cracks. Timing is everything …. ❯ Margaret Lawton Click, presently living in Jacksonville, reports: “Lots of things have happened in the last 20 years, but I’ll tell you the most fun thing I have done since I moved to Cypress Village—I play the jazz piano for our dance band, The Villagers. We give a concert about once a month, and people actually dance to our old-time music from the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. My life is full of learning new music every day and having fun with my old men—a 99-year-old trombone player, 96- and 87-yearold clarinet players, an 80-year-old bass, a young drummer—and me.” ❯ “To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of A.B.L.E. (Allied Blacks for Liberty and Equality) in 1968, I completed a sculpture that was unveiled during Homecoming Convocation 2018, then exhibited and installed in Alumni Hall. My bucket list still includes one exotic travel destination abroad per year. Last year, it was Morocco. This year, Bali. Enjoying writing poetry and memoir. [And humor. She signed her email: “Ann Fay Brown Stevenson-Smith, MD :-). I need more names.”] ❯ Finally, this beautiful message from Jo Ann Ooiman Robinson: “I would like classmates who knew and admired Audrey Collet Conard (April 18, 1943–September 15, 2015) to know that I have established a poetry prize in her memory, awarded annually to the student whose submission of 3–5 poems is found to best reflect aesthetic excellence and spiritual resonance. Knox’s creative writing faculty select finalists and designate a distinguished poet of national reputation to render the final decision. Although illness prevented Audrey from graduating with us, she brightened many lives in her time at Knox and was already an amazing poet whose work appeared often in the old Siwasher. Later, she published in numerous literary venues in both the U.S. and Canada, where she emigrated with her husband and children. In the 1980s, she resumed formal schooling, earned a master’s degree in theology, and was ordained as a priest in the Anglican Church of Canada. A poetic spirit suffused her ministry, even as her poetry had so many touches of reverence and contemplation. The Audrey Collet Conard Prize in Poetry seeks to honor both of these aspects of her life. (Contributions earmarked for the Prize Fund may be made through the Office of Advancement. Contact gifts@knox.edu to learn more.) ❯ And now, the latest news from the Class of 1964. ❯ At the end of October 2018, Brian Leekley moved from Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Bainbridge Island, Washington. Brian continues to post essays and articles on HubPages and on Medium. ❯ Karen Freedlund McCauley writes: “After 35 years in Los Angeles, the past 19 years spent near Portland, Oregon, have been a dream. I still dabble in watercolors, teaching psychology and astrology online, and enjoying the wondrous explorations of my five-year-old grandson and my wonderdog, Buddy.” ❯ Steve Marsh reported after Hurricane Florence came through their area: “Being from Hampstead, North Carolina, a few

miles north of Wilmington, we evacuated to the home of Sharon’s brother in Stuart, Florida.

Amazingly, our house was in surprisingly good shape upon return, although trees were down all around us. After two feet of rain, our home surprisingly was not flooded out.” ❯ Lynn Barrett: “I continue to be involved with school governance as chair of two school boards and a trustee of the most successful Multi Academy Trust in England. The work is time-consuming (with way too much to read!) but hugely interesting and rewarding. Schools across the U.K. have experienced drastic budget cuts, which have seen their libraries cut to the bone and beyond. Therefore, I also work with the 13 schools in our Trust to resurrect these valuable services, emphasising [note the English spelling] not only the importance of reading but the vital skills of information literacy and their connection to and implementation through the curriculum. Academically, I found my way in Seymour Library, and my passion for libraries continues to grow. However, the important things in life don’t just sit on the back burner. Almost every year, husband David and I manage to see Kathy Molda East, Jean Martin, and Gordon ’61 and Anne Fribolin Stagg and find that the years since we were together at Knox easily slip away. We look forward to the 55th Reunion next year!” ❯ A nice “catch-up” from Patricia White Strasberg: “My husband and I have tried to keep moving while knees, hips, and other physical obstacles keep reminding us that we better keep trying to move. Two bucket list items. Traveling now is by boat—walking trips are not such a good idea, as we end up with our feet placed in hot water and washcloths on our foreheads. Last May, we went on a cruise to the Baltic, spending time in Sweden, Germany, St. Petersburg, and Denmark. Next September, after a week in Norway, we have planned a transatlantic cruise out of London. Very importantly, I look forward to a visit with Diane TroutOertel ’65 in March in Tucson. Was it reported that Mary Ellen Williams ’65, Mary Ellen Alt Johnson ’65, Patricia Kamienski ’65, Diane Trout-Oertel, Barbara Zimmerman ’65, Wendy Oakes ’65, Paula Prutsman ’65, Nan Siebert ’65, and Ann O’Donnell ’65 came to Tucson for a reunion in February 2017? (Suellen “Dingo” Ross Lee ’65 unfortunately was unable to join us.) We stayed at the Rincon Creek Ranch.

(Some even went horseback riding.) Finally, I have almost retired completely—still see a few patients. I spend a lot of time with my children and their families in Tucson and Fort Collins, Colorado. I think of Knox years often and hope to return for another Reunion some year.” ❯ From Babs Kothe Fiala: “Last August, for the 28th year, seven of the eight members of our gallivanting group of Galesburg graduates—i.e., Avis Sorenson Erickson, Jean Howell Card, JoAnn Dworzynski Pierce, Karen Dittmer Bowyer ’63, Kathy Molda East, Nancy Anderson Levin, and I—met for our annual mini-reunion. (Unfortunately for her and us, Jean Scott Welch was unable to be with us.) In

4-1/2 delightful days, we saw Niagara Falls from both sides of the border; took a cruise on the Maid of the Mist; visited Lockport, New York, to see the locks on the Erie Canal (alas, no boat was being towed by a mule named Sal); and toured the Albright-Knox Art Museum. But the high point of the weekend and the primary reason for our choice of venue was our visit to the Jell-O Museum in scenic LeRoy, New York! It was a delightful experience, and we highly recommend it. (Should you ever be asked what the original flavors of Jell-O were, the answer is raspberry, strawberry, orange, and lemon.) We unanimously voted to meet in Galesburg for Homecoming Weekend and our class’s 55th Reunion. Hope you all will be there, too. [Plans for the Class of ’64 reunion have not yet been finalized. The dates will be November 1–3, 2019. Watch for further information.] ❯ Mike Pope and wife Marsha met Don and Catherine Hardinger Shriver ’66 at their family cabin in Northwest Wisconsin, then met Ray Santini and wife Diane and Jerry and Carol Klail Vovis ’65 at Camp Sokol in far Southeast Michigan. Sokol is an old and established Czech vacation compound on Lake Michigan that Jerry and Frank Konopasek ’62 visited often when they were growing up. Most families were from the Chicago area. “But the big trip this year was to Disney World to celebrate our 50th anniversary with son Matt and his family. It was lots of fun but very tiring.” ❯ Speaking of a 50th anniversary, Val and I (Klopcic) rented a house for 25 on the Outer Banks (OBX) for our 50th, which we filled with our kids and some grandkids. OBX has something for everyone: great beaches, history, nature, lighthouses, touristy things … Warning: Visit out-of-season if you can.

Else, make your reservations at least a year in advance. ❯ We close on a somber note. I received a message from Lorelei Lehwalder Norvell telling of the passing of her husband G. Todd Norvell. A history major, Todd also picked up an Army commission and subsequently served with distinction in Viet Nam. Returning, he earned a Doctor of Laws degree and joined a prestigious law firm in Oregon, rising to a senior partnership despite his being diagnosed with FSH muscular dystrophy in the early 1970s. [At Knox, I was a house-mate of Todd’s and deeply admired (read: envied) his calm sophistication.] He is missed.

Class Correspondent: Terry Klopcic klopcicjt2@roadrunner.com

1965 Joe Thompson writes, “I just remembered when Phyllis Diller came to campus. She was starting her stand-up career, and I think she lived in Chicago. She was weird-looking, intense, with unruly hair—laughed at her own jokes, a cackling laugh that we had never heard any performer do before. Somewhere I have a drawing she sent me, signed ‘Love You Joe.’ My idea was to get her back for a Reunion with our class some time.

Maybe there are others who performed for us during our four years we could invite for 2020!

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

49

“The day at Machu Picchu, my Fitbit recorded 12,000 steps and 140 flights I’ve finally ended up living in Raleigh, where there is Tyvek and cranes on every street corner.

Whatever our population is now, we’ll be twice that in five years. Edie substitutes at a downtown school, and older daughter Katie lives 20 miles away with two grandkids—the ones who brought us here. Younger daughter Sarah lives near Asheville with Josh, an North Carolina native, and runs a Trader Joe’s store. Our big story this year was going to Italy—our first trip overseas!

Medically, I was circling the drain in March 2015 with heart congestion but stopped drinking, had an ablation, and take the meds, and so far it’s working. Let me know if you want a sample of a Mancave Music CD, my little hobby (45s recorded with a needle).” ❯ Gary Schneider lives in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, a town of 900 people. He is a retired geologist and independent appraiser of diamonds and gemstones.

He notes there are many different colored garnets in Montana. He says that his mother’s family came from Sweden and settled in Bishop Hill, Illinois, a Swedish community near Galesburg.

His father’s family were German Russians who left Germany to farm along the Volga River.

They eventually came to Calgary, Canada, and Dickinson County, Kansas. He recently received a large catalogue, the fourth ever published, listing all the members of the Sigma Nu since its inception in 1869. ❯ Debra Frazier Golitz will travel to Myanmar (formerly Burma) with Habitat for Humanity. During her two weeks there, she will aid in the construction of housing for the

needy population there. She digs foundations and mixes concrete as part of her contribution to these building projects. She notes some of her favorite places she has visited with Habitat for Humanity are Zambia and Romania. The trip to Myanmar will be her 12th “build” for Habitat.

Her husband is now professor emeritus of dermatology at University of Colorado School of Medicine. She retired as head of childhood and adolescent psychology at the same institution. ❯ Barbara Hofflander lives in Friendship Village, Tempe, Arizona. She has two sons—one in Phoenix, Arizona, who works with Banner Health as financial analyst, the other in Colorado Springs writing computer code for FedEx. She volunteers at the local library and participates with Knitwits, a group that knits and crochets for the VA Hospital and VA homeless shelter in Phoenix. She also belongs to an organization that knits for children in need. ❯ Steve Baylor, M.D., Ph.D., has retired as a professor of physiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He received his M.D. degree at Stanford after graduating from Knox. He now works with his wife in her respiratory therapy business and is writing a book on computational physiology, combining his background in mathematics with his lifelong career in physiology. Steve and I reminisced about our times in Chicago during breaks at Knox. ❯ Jane Heinen Wanderer retired some years ago from a career as international sales manager for Siemens. She travels widely and enjoys East Asia. She has traveled to Turkey,

Burma, Brazil, and Africa and has planned a trip to Iran in the first part of this year. She is active with the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women (AAUW).

Though her father, mother, and many other family members attended the University of Chicago, and Jane herself attended the University of Chicago’s lab prep school, she chose Knox and would like to return for further studies. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Cornell after leaving Knox. ❯ Lowell Dixon serves on the board of of McDonald Corp’s reinsurance company in Bermuda. He also remains active, albeit with many fewer hours, at McDonald’s new headquarters in downtown Chicago. He resides full time in Lake Forest, Illinois, after selling his home in Vero Beach, Florida. Both his sons have returned to Chicago—one in the downtown area and one in Kenilworth on Chicago’s North Shore. He and his wife enjoy traveling when his schedule permits. ❯ Wife Beverly Anderson and I will soon celebrate our 46th wedding anniversary.

We continue to live on the farm and tend to our rescue animals. We have added three fainting goats and a Great Pyrenees (their protector) to our little family. I am active in the practice of ophthalmology but have reduced my hours to 3 1/2 days per week. I enjoy the surgery. I was recently named senior medical director for Envolve, part of Centene, a Fortune 500 company. I work with the chief medical director from Duke University School of Medicine and help run the meetings, which include 28 other state medical directors. Envolve represents 17 million subscribers in 28 states, and we administer their vision care programs for Medicare, Medicaid, and many private insurance companies. Each Thursday, I continue my call-in radio program, Dr. On Call. If you have any medical questions, please call the program on any Thursday between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. CST at 620-421-5552!

Class Correspondent: Terry Rothstein, M.D. 220 N. 32nd Street, Parsons, KS 67357, antiquarian@wavewls.com

1966 Class Correspondent: Judith Holland Sarnecki 630 Wheeler Street, Neenah, WI 54956, 920-725-1430, judithsmamabear@gmail.com SUBMITTED

1967 Members of the Class of 1967 convened in Pacific Beach, Washington, for a fall 2018 mini-reunion. Front (l-r): Ruth Mesing, Nancy Rabenstein Pielemeier, Elsa Swenson Teel, Kate Linquist Adams, Dorie Campbell Tichenor. Back (l-r): Tom Collins, Anne Talley Turner, Helen Gilbert, Wendy Hummel Hill, Tom Tichenor.

50

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

James Nordin: “Eighteen years after I retired and five years after my wife retired, we have slowly moved into real retirement mode. I teach two courses a year as an adjunct in Golden Gate University’s master’s degree program. Linda still does consulting, but now only 10 days a month.

And we take longer and longer vacations: in 2018 a 60-day cruise around South America (29 stops in 27 countries). In March 2019, we have planned to sail from Singapore to London (45 days), and, in 2020, we will take a ‘round the world’ cruise

Class Knox of stairs.” —Nancy Crane Pool ’67 on her recent trip to Peru

1968 Mary Mangieri Burgland and husband George spent February in Scottsdale, Arizona, playing golf and doing some hiking. They both looked forward to playing with hickory golf clubs (pre1935 vintage) in a tournament at Sun City in late February. They wish everyone in the Class of 1968 a wonderful year. ❯ Jack Brown wanted to share the following: “There is a memorial/tribute for Prof. Robin Metz, primary architect and long-time director of the Knox creative writing program, on April 6, 2019, at Harbach Theatre.

2019 Alumni Achievement Award Joseph L. Cecchi ’68 Joe Cecchi has always enjoyed “building and tinkering,” as he puts it. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physics from Knox, he earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University. It was there that Cecchi’s interest in semiconductor research—the design and operation of the chemical reactors that fabricate the small devices that power computer chips—blossomed. Since then, he has mentored more than 24 master’s and doctoral students and supervised undergraduates in his labs—many of whom served as co-authors on his 100 peer-reviewed research publications and as collaborators on his 10 patents.

He also made an impact beyond the lab, first as director of Princeton’s graduate program in plasma science and technology and director of the New Jersey SEMATECH Center of Excellence for Plasma Etching, then, after joining the faculty of the University of New Mexico’s School of Engineering, as chair of the chemical and biological engineering department and then dean of the School of Engineering, where he oversaw exponential growth in the school’s undergraduate and graduate programs.

That growth has been driven by economic development and outreach. For 17 years, Cecchi has served on the board of directors of STC.UNM, the university’s technology transfer and startup incubator organization, and is currently its vice chair. When he joined, annual revenue from licensing the university’s intellectual property was about $390,000. Now, STC.UNM brings in more than $2 million each year in licensing and supported more than 80 startups. “Our greatest impact has been to transform the culture of the campus into one in which invention and innovation are exciting new avenues.”

BREA CUNNINGHAM

Alumni Achievement Award Winner

that will last 105 days. Of course, that means we ‘have to’ decline work offers, and we’re slowly overcoming the withdrawal pains. In the future, we want to visit as many of the close-to-home places as we can, so don’t be surprised if we contact you in Oregon or Nevada or West Virginia or Maine—or any place in between!” ❯ Julie Badel: “I am now vice president of the Finnish American Society of the Midwest, and I have a sweet young German Shepherd, Jake, who joins GSD siblings Gabe and Sara.” ❯ Nancy Crane Poole: “Last summer, I traveled to Peru for 12 days with a group of nine women ranging in age from their 70s to early 30s. Most were native Spanish speakers who were kind about my Spanish. The trip was concentrated in the Andes, where we learned about Inca civilization and native Peruvian culture, visited ruins and colonial churches with incredible amounts of gold and silver and amazing wood carvings, and watched condors riding the thermals out of the depths of Colca Canyon. We spent a day in the Sacred Valley and another getting by train to Machu Picchu. (I had been concerned about the altitude, being a sea-level person, but had no real difficulty. I did notice the thinner air—most of the ruins and historic sites were uphill, and the day at Machu Picchu my Fitbit recorded 12,000 steps and 140 flights of stairs.) We learned how native Peruvians freeze, squeeze out excess water, and dry potatoes for storage—tasted them too, rehydrated and cooked. Interesting. Also tried guinea pig, deep fried. Odd. It was a wonderful trip!” ❯ David Axelrod writes, “Wife Linda Feferman and I have survived another Southern California winter wrapped in our Knox blanket.” ❯ John and Jill Crawford Muchmore ’68 are still married after 50 years. “Our main home is in Oklahoma, but we go to our cabin in the Rocky Mountain wilderness when we can. No roads go there. We travel by horse or mule.” ❯ Your correspondent was one of 10 members of our class who gathered in Pacific Beach, Washington, for a mini-reunion last fall. The eight women are alums of Anderson House (that groundbreaking Knox residence that was the first with no curfew for senior women); two male classmates and several spouses also joined the fun.

Class Correspondent: Anne Talley Turner 50 East 39th Place, Eugene, OR 97405, anneturner345@gmail.com

Why did you choose Knox?

MIT was my first choice, and I was admitted there. As I came closer to a decision, though, I realized that college was about much more than what to major in. In the end, I decided I really fit better in a small liberal arts college with strong science and math programs, where I would also have the opportunity to explore a range of other offerings. This led me to Knox. The Knox faculty were of high quality, committed to undergraduate education, and easily accessible. This was particularly true for the physics faculty, Professors Priestly, Green, Boyd, and Salter. I also had the opportunity to spend a term of my junior year at Argonne National Laboratory.

How did those experiences direct the path of your life and career?

Knox gave me a close-up view of how attractive an academic career could be.

I went on to a 45-year academic career—21 years at Princeton University and 24 years at the University of New Mexico. In addition to my teaching and research as a faculty member, I also became interested in academic leadership.

In these administrative roles, I found that I drew often on my Knox experience and came to further appreciate the value of the liberal arts education that I received here.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

51

“Septuagenarians still rock!” —Rob MacCarthy ’71

Mark A. McIntosh ’72

BREA CUNNINGHAM

“I had never seen Knox,” remembers Mark McIntosh. “I got on a train in Amarillo, Texas, and rode for 16 hours and got off in Galesburg. So that was that was my introduction to Knox and to a whole new view of the world.”

When he arrived, McIntosh wasn’t sure whether he’d go into medicine or research—just that he wanted to make a career in the sciences. As it turns out, the career that followed has elements of both. After earning a Ph.D. in microbiology at The University of Texas at Austin, and spending three years as a post-doctoral fellow in biochemistry at University of California, Berkeley, McIntosh, has spent his entire career at the University of Missouri and the University of Missouri School of Medicine, becoming a professor in their molecular biology and immunology program, where his research has focused on bacterial pathogenesis—the process by which bacteria infect and cause disease in organisms—and new strategies for diagnosing and treating those infections. His research has won funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the USDA, and the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Missouri, among others.

He became the first director of University of Missouri’s DNA Core Facility, and has been director of all of the university’s research core facilities since 2004. He has served as director of graduate studies and as chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. In 2017, he was named vice president for research and economic development for the entire University of Missouri system, where he helps to bring the university’s scientific breakthroughs from the lab bench to the bedside.

How did a Knox education prepare you for success as a scientist?

What really prepared me for my career were all the non-science courses that I took. Knox taught me how to write and how to think—a much different approach than other schools. I've been at three major universities that are very focused on the sciences. Even if you’re focused on a career in science or a career in medicine, success in science these days is not about solving one very small piece of the puzzle but how to put that piece of the puzzle into the bigger picture, how to get your science out to the community as a whole. I took a creative writing course at Knox with Robin Metz that did me a lot of good in the long run, because a lot of my work is in fact about the communication of science.

How would you summarize your Knox experience?

It opened up the world for me. I grew up in West Texas, where all anybody thought about in high school was football. I got here because my high school football coach knew the head football coach at Knox. (Eds. note: McIntosh played both football and baseball for Knox for four years.) My wife and I met here; we’ve been together for 50 years now. We sent four sons here to go to school.

Knox has meant the world to us.

52

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Alumni Achievement Award Winner

2019 Alumni Achievement Award

Robin was a high school All-American linebacker and an outstanding catcher. He was recruited by all seven Ivy League schools, but accepted a full ride (both athletic and academic) to Princeton.

He was mentored there by distinguished faculty, including Philip Roth, who got Robin into the Iowa Writers Workshop. From Iowa, Robin landed in Galesburg and never abandoned the Knox ship, but did rock the boat. He put his shoulder to the creative wheel and developed arguably the finest undergraduate writing program in the nation. Robin was an outstanding writer and won many awards, including the Rainer Maria Rilke Prize for Poetry in 1999. The Class of 1968’s final year was Robin’s first on campus.

Those of us who had the happy experience to take a class with Robin were graced by something special. He inspired a legion of students who all benefited from his guidance. Some merely became more literate and better communicators.

Others went on to careers in many facets of the world of publishing and allied arts. Robin had a high-intensity motor and boundless energy. He was on a mission. The mission continues. Knox will never see his like again. In gratitude. In perpetuity. In peace.” ❯ Chip Evans shared, “It was fantastic to see so many smiling classmates at our 50th Reunion—107, a record for Knox. We have almost 1,000 photos from our Reunion in the ‘Knox 68’ closed Facebook group. All classmates are welcome to view and add more. Congratulations to George and Mary Mangieri Burgland and Jane Crawford Walker and husband Herbert on joining the Lincoln Douglas Society.” ❯ Susan Van Kirk has a new book coming out June 15 from a small publisher called Encircle Publications. It’s a traditional mystery called A Death at Tippitt Pond. It follows a murder committed in the early 70s, so she researched that time period—clothes, events, and music. It was a trip down memory lane. ❯ Wes and I had a wonderful time at the Reunion. Thanks to all who put so much effort into making such a great gathering. There are so many memories that I will cherish. I’m recovering well from surgery and, as I write this, should be free to drive in a week. Can’t wait. It is so cold here, I don’t really mind staying inside. Stay warm and dry.

Class Correspondent: Susan Meyer Mika 1519 North Kennicott Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL 60004, 847-253-7719, pottatea@comcast.net

1969 My column for this issue is colored the loss of a dear friend, classmate, Beta brother, and fellow mischief-maker, Dave Booth. Dave passed away last August following a long illness. A celebration of his life was held in September in St. Charles, Illinois, thanks to his wife, Jocelyn. A number of Dave’s Knox friends were able to attend, including Harvey Miller ’68, Denny and Kathy Lanham Myers, Mike Webster, K.T. Johnson, and Steve ’70 and Nancy Warner Dibble ’71. All of us who knew Dave from our Knox years and

Class Knox the many others whose lives Dave touched will miss his unique and magnetic personality. ❯ Kim Adams Post relates that she and hubby John Post ’67 enjoyed this summer with their “grandkids,” and made their annual return to Sonoma, California, after that. ❯ Jim Hallock stationed himself in Colorado this summer for the second year, establishing his Earth Block building business in that state. Although Jim seems to be constantly working, Rob MacCarthy ’71 noted that he and Jim managed to attend a Jackson Browne concert at Red Rocks outside of Denver.

As Rob put it, “Septuagenarians Still Rock!” ❯ Looks like a bunch of those rockers are already planning for our 50th Reunion next year. Hope to see you rocking classmates there.

Class Correspondent: Bill Combs bcombsi@yahoo.com

1970 First, from my desk: I finally took the plunge and retired from my job at the end of June. Apparently getting up early is not natural to me, so I enjoy the lazy arising time each day. All those goals of cleaning out everything have taken a back seat to reading, golf, and fiddling around.

Last October, I did take a long planned trip to Europe, which included Croatia and Slovenia, with an old friend from Elgin High School (Go Maroons!), and I hope to do more traveling in the future. ❯ As I mentioned in the reminder email sent to everyone, please get your minds around our 50th Reunion, which is looming ahead in October 2020. Rhayma Blake (rhayma@me.com) and I will coordinate the weekend, but we sure can use your help, ideas, etc., to get us all past this milestone. First step is to reach out to anyone you are in contact with from the class to get them on board. Please let Rhayma or me know addresses, emails, etc. so we can include everyone in the upcoming mailings. ❯ Now on to other updates. From Marc Wollman: “Where did the past year go? Seems like it started just yesterday, not a year ago. In any event, it’s been a busy year for me as far as exhibitions. I’ve been in six with my photography in one or another manner. I’m most proud of being in Wisconsin Photography 2018 and receiving a purchase award, so my work is now in the permanent collection of Racine Art Museum. I also served as the juror for a regional photographic exhibition at the Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha. In addition to all that, I still install exhibitions for the cooperative gallery of which I’m a member, as well as for some other shows of local artists. I hope to get back to the Burg this year to see all the campus growth.” ❯ Sue Deans writes: “I finally have a little news, which you may have seen in my Christmas card. I am happy to be part of the team for the 50th, after I get done moving. One thing to think about: I thought we had a Facebook page for our class some years ago but find no trace of it now. I would be happy to start it up again although I am not sure if the College

approves of that. (Eds. note: We not only approve but encourage you to do so!) Actually, who cares? If you guys can help notify people through your networks, I will be glad to start it and help out. I have been a little in the loop on the Class of 1967 and Class of 1968 Reunions, and I know they have used FB and email chains to keep in touch and plan. Sometime if you and Rhayma want to do a conference call I would be glad to do so.”

Thanks to Sue for her suggestions—and we accept all help. ❯ Becky Hollmeyer Ullman writes that she and Bud Ullman plan to attend our 50th Reunion. “I am always working outside the United States but plan to be home in the summer. Bud is home all the time. We could help!” ❯ Rhayma Blake sent this note: “Personally, I think everyone in our class should run for office this year—okay, next year, after the Reunion! That’ll show them.” I support her wholeheartedly.

Class Correspondent: Nancy Hoover Debelius 865 Gayer Drive, Medina, OH 44256-2901, 330-723-5658, Knox1970@zoominternet.net

1971 Retirement and mini-reunions have spread among the Class of ’71. Phil Ward (pward901@ suddenlink.net) and wife Anita have two daughters, Amanda and Amelia, and all live in Paola, Kansas. Phil is retired but keeps in contact with exchange students Chantal Koob ’68 (France) and Guenter Struve ’67 (Germany). He is busy with an art venture, magic pixel dust. An online portfolio can be seen at www.moondoggiegraphics.com. ❯ Charles Stivale (ad4928@ wayne.edu) finished his teaching career at Wayne State. So, no more trying to explain French politics and social structures. Thanks to the “phased retirement” setup, he still receives paychecks until May, and then it’s the infinite sabbatical! ❯ Lynn Strand McIntosh (lynnmcwho@yahoo.com) reports that she and Mark are still ensconced in Columbia, Missouri, where Mark McIntosh ’72 diligently works at the university, and Lynn diligently does whatever she wants. With five sons and 10 grandchildren, and expecting the 11th this year, life is good and getting better. ❯ Donald Raleigh (DJR@email.unc.edu) reports that after 30 years in the same house, he happily moved into an Epcon 55+ community. During a trip to Washington, D.C., over New Year’s, he enjoyed dinner with Bill Larkin ’70. On sabbatical this term, Don flew to Moscow in late January to work in Russian archives on his biography of Soviet leader L. I. Brezhnev, the guy with the eyebrows. ❯ Sue Ganser Levinson (levinson.law@ gmail.com) expects to “substantially” retire in October 2019. She and I have lunch together every so often as we remote-office from the same place. ❯ Kim Berney (kimberney423@gmail.com) and Jane McGuire (jmcguire@unm.edu) reported on the September mini-reunion of Kim, Jane, Barb Davis, Sara Gummersall Treacy Hill, Sandy Emery, and Lisa Leinberger Roberts at Sara’s

house in Dover, New Hampshire. They spent five days touring New Hampshire and Maine, eating lobsters, seeing Jersey Boys at the Ogunquit Community Theater, taking lovely walks, and always having great talks. Kim and Jane urge the entire group—and everyone else—to be at our 50th Reunion! Jane and husband David also visited Bruce Wyatt and wife Carol in Burlington, Vermont, on their way to Montreal and Quebec. ❯ Bill Ford (wrford49@gmail.com) visited Gilbert, Arizona, to see his grandchildren before knee replacement surgery. Bill still plans to be ready for golf this spring! ❯ Rick Gleason (r.gleason@ tgp-architects.com) and Ann are headed for New Zealand in March. They—like all of us—were saddened by Robin Metz’s passing. ❯ Dennis Farrell (dennisfarrelllaw@aol.com) and Bertie enjoy retired life and being grandparents. Son Scott has had two beautiful girls in the last three years.

Dennis and Bertie also took a cruise from Vancouver to Alaska. He and Terry Denoma (siwash71@gmail.com) reported on their annual golf outing, which was moved from Myrtle Beach to Crossville, Tennessee, to avoid hurricanes. The change did not help the golf team of Dennis Farrell and John Flood, who still lost to Terry and Jim Leech, as well as Dave Wood ’72 and Gene Brandt ’72. That’s 23 years in a row! Ah, consistency! ❯ David Jenkin (fdjenkin@ hotmail.com) retired from the U.S. Navy but still practices primary care and occupational medicine in sunny San Diego. ❯ Paula Irrgang (irrgang@outlook.com) retired from the Austin Public Library last year. She volunteers at the Humane Society, with a hospice organization, and in elementary schools. She also square dances about once a week. ❯ Lonnie Fredenhagen Schaefer (dandlschaefer@yahoo.com) had a great time touring the Morton Arboretum Christmas Light Show with Betsy Bowen and Ann McConachie. Lonnie and husband Dan live in Amboy, Illinois, and take care of Lonnie’s dad, Ted, and work with her brothers and sisters to plan the future of their Circle F Farms. They also enjoy seeing Gary Gehlbach and wife Chris, who live in Dixon, Illinois. They spent the holidays in High Point, North Carolina, with son Casey and wife Jenna, Stella (2), and Cameron (4). From there they went to Augusta, Georgia, spending time with daughter Becky and husband Brian, Louise (8), and Teddy (6). Son Brian recently became engaged to fiancée Jessica. ❯ Mary Tompkins (mary_tompkins@ncsu.edu) and husband Wayne are retired. They still maintain their 40-acre farm and three horses. Mary also has two show horses at a training barn that also keep her busy. They have two grandchildren in high school and one in middle school. Their oldest daughter live in Athens, Georgia, while the next oldest, Andrea, works in the western suburbs of Chicago for PepsiCo, where she has been promoted twice and received several awards.

Grandson Ethan is a sophomore at University of Iowa and a member of the Iowa National Guard. ❯ After the Besançon reunion, Ted Fagerburg

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

53

“Unlike some of my retired friends, I am not compelled to continue to go (ted@fagerburg.com) traveled to Colorado for the wedding of daughter Anne Fagerburg ’08—and attended the Denver Knox Club get-together.

Who knows, they may just come to the U.S. to stay … maybe! ❯ I am still busy working, trying to cut back a bit. I saw Randy and Julie Dacone Bendrick, Walt and Lilli Williams Davis ’74, and Max Utsler ’70 and his wife at the Shoeless Joe 60+ baseball tournament I run at the Field of Dreams. Judy and I had a wonderful dinner with Rick ’73 and Betsy Harris Bowen and Ann McConachie. I almost had a John Flood sighting— he attended son Daniel’s performance in Into the Woods recently. Judy is “retired” but teaches graduate education students and acts professionally. A commercial she filmed recently ran on CBS. Daniel is the director of communications for The iCenter, an organization that trains people to teach about Israel. He also performs and recently received a master’s degree from the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Michael is now the program director for a Chicago-based after-school program. Laura recently moved to Israel, where she now has dual citizenship, and is working on a master’s degree in social work at Tel Aviv University. That means that Judy and I will travel back to Israel in April and then to Greece for a cruise. ❯ Since many of us are retiring, our email addresses are changing. Be sure to send me your new email address so I can keep in contact with you!

Class Correspondent: Jerome A. Tatar 333 Wilshire Drive West, Wilmette, IL 60091-3151, 847-251-4889, jerry@tatarlawfirm.com

1972 Gene Brandt has retired from Ter Molen Watkins & Brandt, the consulting firm he cofounded 22 years ago. He continues to consult with a small number of long-term clients. It leaves him with more time to work on his golf game and go for walks along the oceanfront in Redondo Beach, California. ❯ Cush Copeland writes, “I am 20 months into retirement and loving it. Unlike some of my retired friends, I am not compelled to continue to go out into the world and do stuff. Helping my wife through the last couple of years of her illness, her subsequent transplant, and very slow recovery has been enough for me, thank you very much. I do dabble in photography, grow my own hot peppers and make my own hot sauce, putter around the house, wrangle two dogs, and soak up ‘nothing to do’ time when it comes around (not as often as one might expect). My new fishing rod and tackle remain, alas, dry, but I have plans. Our daughter and her family are a little less than one hour away, the perfect distance as it turns out. We are traveling more and further as my wife improves and are happy to host the occasional visitor who stumbles our way, usually family. That is all and, I hope, enough.” ❯ Shel Gross writes, “First, my new email: shelgross3@gmail.com. Second, I retired at the end of 2018 after 45 years in the mental

54

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

health field, the last 18+ as director of public policy for Mental Health America of Wisconsin. I look forward to continuing to be active in my community, spending more time at the ‘Y’ and golfing, having coffee with friends, and writing.” ❯ Sandy Hanna writes, “My book, The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon, has been published and was released in January by Post Hill Press, a spin-off from Simon & Schuster. I was a military BRAT growing up in Saigon from 1960– 1962, and my coming-of-age true story reveals a world prior to those well-recorded war years. Instead, I show a world little understood, a country where politics and intrigue reside between plot and counterplot. It is the world my brothers and sister and I grew up in. I hope my fellow Knox friends get a chance to read about my Saigon.”

Sandy Hanna Creative Strategies, Inc.; 908-3611843; sandyhanna@yahoo.com. ❯ Susan Wessels Hiatt writes that William Hiatt has received the 2018 Clinical Research Prize from the American Heart Association for clinical studies that have “greatly expanded” the understanding of the causes and treatment of peripheral artery disease.

In the award announcement, American Heart Association president Ivor Benjamin observed, “Few individuals have had as much impact on our ability to understand and overcome the adversities of peripheral artery disease as Will Hiatt.”

Read the full release at newsroom.heart.org. ❯ Whitten Park Jones writes, “In honor of my participation in the first Repertory Theatre Term at Knox in 1970, and our involvement in theatre in Iowa over the last 45 years, my husband and I created the Park Jones Repertory Theatre Term Fund at Knox, earnings of which will be given to the Rep Term to keep this tradition excelling. It seems Knox has the only college theatre program that offers this unique concentrated repertory experience. Now retired, and each being the last member of our families, David and I are finding new homes for ‘family treasures,’ a new career itself for both of us.” ❯ Ron Lipton writes, “My alleged retirement is still not going as planned.

Played a cafe gig just last night and got offered some upcoming casino shows. While those pay well, they’re also usually a pain in the butt so may look for excuses to turn them down. Recording project was delayed due to health issues, both of my own and of the producer, so will resume in the spring. Other than that, just the same ol’ same ol’ in laid back New Mexico, and trying to live a life of gratitude and peace.” ❯ Dudley McCarter writes, “Wife Beth and I have been attending Mizzou football games with Mark and Lynn Strand McIntosh ’71. Mark is now vice president for research of the University of Missouri. (On February 15, Mark received the Knox Alumni Achievement Award, and I got to introduce him.) I have also run into Sara Wetherbee Koeneke and Max Utsler ’70 at the games. Our youngest daughter lives in Boulder, Colorado, not too far from Jody and Bill Scanlon, and we often get together with them when we visit our daughter.” ❯ Glenn Mrjenovich has a new email

address: mrglennmrj@aol.com. ❯ William Sowle writes, “Just completed my fifth year full time in my Roadtrek RV. Still having a great time following and finding the 72° weather. This summer and early fall I was on the Northern California/Oregon coast and then in Eugene for the start of the football season. Oregon Ducks have one heck of a great marching band. Much of the West was plagued by forest fires so the Oregon coast was the only place smoke-free and cool.

Scrumptious blackberries were in season and growing everywhere. Lots of small towns replete with car shows featuring muscle cars of the ’60s.

Mendocino and Fortuna, California, as well as Brookings and Gold Beach, Oregon, were some of my favorites. Spent a few days at Hoover Dam kayaking and visiting Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park. Of course, Scottsdale always has great morning vistas. March and April, I will be in New Zealand.” ❯ Vince Throop writes, “Chickens are back to laying.” ❯ Wendy Scherwat Ducourneau writes, “Still swimming, and still enjoying it immensely. Audrey is the cutest ever, as I’m sure is true of all Knox grandchildren.

Spent Christmas with Emilie in Lexington, Kentucky, and visited Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Thoroughly enjoyed my 50th high school reunion in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.

Nearly half our living classmates attended, which was amazing and so much fun. Looking forward to a fabulous turnout in fall 2022—mark your calendars now!”

Class Correspondent: Wendy Scherwat Ducourneau wjsd@jps.net, Facebook Group: Knox College Class of ’72

1973 Nancy Bakos Hunter tried to retire in April but was called back in August and is still writing manuals and doing technical support for a Boulder, Colorado, software firm. She will try harder to retire next time! ❯ Liz Brasure and Steve Giles enjoy being grandparents. Steve failed retirement over the past three years and travels around the country as needed to temporarily fill in at medical clinics. Seeing how retirement has worked out for Steve, Liz is resisting retiring and continues as a chemistry lab instructor at Carroll University in their hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Nonetheless they have taken opportunities for occasional travel near and far. ❯ After nearly 20 years as a professor at Saint Louis University, Greg Divers retired from teaching and is now emeritus. He is doing some global traveling in Germany and China but met with Don “Dunnie” Corrigan at O’Connell’s Irish Pub in St. Louis to commiserate over the passing of their Knox writing mentor, Robin Metz. They hope to put together a Metz Memorial Meeting of Robin Metz fans in St. Louis this summer. Don will publish a new book, Nuts About Squirrels: The Rodents That Captured Popular Culture, completed on his faculty development leave from Webster

Class Knox out into the world and do stuff.” —Cush Copeland ’72 on his retirement University. It includes a postscript that notes Greg Divers’ classic squirrel imitations when Don and Greg were at Knox. ❯ Roberta Hoffman has now lived in Germany more than twice as long as she lived in the U.S. She retired from strenuous teaching six years ago and enjoys training her dog(s) and taking part in agility and rally obedience trials. She and husband Peter Bennemann will celebrate their silver anniversary this summer, which Germans do BIG style.

Family will be coming from the States and will be introduced to beloved Ireland for a week after the party. ❯ Nick Poulos sends: “I have just completed my 25th year with ASG Technologies, a private software company based in Naples, Florida. Although I have reached the age (and financial goals) for retirement, I still have too much fun to retire just yet. I provide technical demonstrations of my company’s software products, teach customers to use them, and sometimes provide customizations of the software. I like to joke that one of my job duties is collecting hats, because I have them from several of the more than 25 countries on six continents and several islands that I have visited for my job. Fortunately, with advances in technology, I can now do much of this without the crushing experience of spending hours or even days flying back and forth.

Times have certainly changed since 1973. Even my phone has more than a million times the memory and power of the IBM 1130 computer that I remember from my days at Knox.” ❯ Bob Prout became a first-time grandpa in February.

Son Glenn and wife Kathleen are Rocco Alan’s proud parents. ❯ John Straus writes: “At year’s end, I retired from my business development work at Exponent and have moved on to my next stage: Not Retired, Just No Longer Working For A Living! My term as a Knox trustee (ex officio as alumni council immediate past president) ends in June, and it’s been an honor and privilege to be a part of this august body. The work our board takes on and the results produced are nothing short of spectacular. If you know a trustee, thank him or her for their service. Grandparenting, cooking, traveling, and some consulting are my plans for my future.” ❯ Curt Strom reports: “2018 was a busy year for Kim and me. We sold our Florida condo in June, retired on July 3, and made a trip to Aspen in October, along with buying a house in Vero Beach, Florida. December brought the sale of our house in Connecticut and the MOVE! The only good thing about the MOVE was I was able to lose a lot of weight in the process. Next year we plan to live on our boat in Connecticut for the summer and take a cruise or two. Next fall, we will cruise our boat south on the Intercoastal Waterway. So far, retirement has been great.” ❯ Finally, Nancy Dunlop reports the sad news of the passing of Roberta Malone Rooney on December 19, 2018. Many remember how her guitar and voice added to our Newman Club gatherings in the Gizmo.

Class Correspondent: Nancy Bakos Hunter 5280 Easley Way, Golden, CO 80403-1161, 303-278-3163, geo_hunters@q.com

1974 Many of our classmates wrote to say they will attend our 45th Reunion this November. Looks like it will be a good opportunity to see old friends again. Can’t wait! ❯ Richard Heitman: “This has been my first year of retirement from teaching. I am now Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Classics at Carthage College. Since my left brain has been crammed for so long with the linguistic, symbolic, abstract, and speculative, I thought it time to try my hand at ‘drawing on the right side of the brain.’ I sketch all the time and am making progress. I am young again, discovering a new facet of myself.” ❯ Jim Mott: “Thanks for the reminder about booking for Homecoming. Just booked a room. Wouldn’t want to miss our 45th.” ❯ Mary Alice “Fritz” Nemetz Ketchum: “Our daughter married her husband this fall in Texas, followed two weeks later by a Hindu ceremony in Calcutta that lasted four days! I teach theatre courses at University of Texas at Dallas and at Collin College. I have also served as a guest artist-in-residence for Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. My husband continues in his role as regional manager for Wattstoppers/LeGrand. No retirement just yet! We built a new home in a small greenbelt community in McKinney, Texas.” ❯ Jeff Gartner: “After living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, since 1985, my wife and I moved to Cincinnati this past August to be close to our oldest daughter and her family here, especially their two boys. She’s the one of our three daughters who are settled for certain. I can do my marketing and community research work from anywhere, and my wife is doing a three-year phased long-distance retirement from her faculty position at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids.” ❯ Mark VanRaden: “For four years, I’ve lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with my wife, son, and daughter (all Knox grads). This city and our family togetherness are major sources of joy and strength. I retired three years ago but traveled little afterward, except that last spring I had an amazing travel adventure: the Knox alumni tour in Sitka, Alaska. It was fantastic in organization, program (featuring local sustainable-fishing people), and gracious, flexible hosting by Knox environmental professor Nic Mink (an Alaska-loving Floridian!). It was great to join Bob Nelson ’40 (who took first place in fishing!) and other Knox associates for fun, food, and adventure (like the live-shotgun escort for our day trek in Tongass National Forest’s ‘bear country’). One of our many takeaway tour lessons: Shorter-term commercial interests and irresponsible governing are again threatening the visionary protections of public lands engineered 100 years ago by John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, and others. My overall takeaway from the trip: Kudos to Knox!” ❯ Betty Harpham Spieth-Croll: In her first submission to these class notes, Betty writes, “Hi from Seattle,” where she’s lived since graduation. Betty and husband Tim spend a lot of time with grandkids,

traveling and working in public policy issues around Seattle. Son Andy and family also live in Seattle, and Chris and family live in the L.A. area.

“A highlight of the past year was getting together for the first time in 40+ years with Class Scribe Monta Lee Dakin in Denver, where sister Joan Harpham ’76 now lives. And we got a hotel room for next year’s Knox Homecoming.” She hopes to see many of you there! ❯ Bruce Roberts: He lives in San Jose. He is retired and advocates on affordable housing and homelessness issues. He is also involved in the Cinequest film festival. ❯ Jim and Jan Dillon Rybka: They moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, in August 2018.

“After living in Lafayette, Indiana, for 44 years, we knew moving would be a big change and very challenging, and it was! We have adjusted to a new ‘normal,’ and enjoy the change in geography and downsized lifestyle. We now have five grandchildren. The three youngest live here in Flagstaff: our two oldest are in Fort Wayne, Indiana. If any of Knox friends have plans to visit the Grand Canyon (it really should be on your bucket list!), you will most likely pass through Flagstaff. Please consider looking us up. We would love to see your old (no offense meant) and familiar faces again!” ❯ Margie Beers: “I will finally finish my undergrad degree at Northeastern Illinois University on May 6. My daughter-in-law gave birth on January 1 to my seventh grandchild. I now work for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services as the administrative assistant to the chief deputy director, and I’m also the office manager. We had a great summer. We spent two weeks in Scandinavia and visited Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

I plan to attend Homecoming in November.” ❯ Monta Lee Dakin: “I’m traveling, writing, and consulting with museums. I spent a month in France, driving everywhere (my college/high school French was useless). I’m finding good stories to write about as I dig into the history of my family, from the dirt farmers along the Pony Express route to a poet who wrote ‘Auld Lang Syne.’

Yes, I am directly related to Robert Burns—much to my surprise—which means I must visit his stomping grounds in Scotland this summer. In the recent election, my son worked for Kyrsten Sinema’s successful Arizona senatorial campaign, and his fiancé managed the campaign that elected Jared Polis as Colorado’s new governor. Can’t wait to see you all at our 45th!” ❯ Glen Moberg: “Mary Beth and I got together with two very dear friends, Jay Larmee and wife Marcia, who we haven’t seen in more than 25 years. Jay and I were roommates at Knox and spent several months on an adventure in the Colorado Rockies.” Glen recently celebrated his long career as the host of Wisconsin Public Radio’s Route 51.

He recounted his favorite feature stories, including one in which he held a wild bear cub on a DNR research expedition. He performed original songs on acoustic guitar, and he shared thoughts about the current state of broadcast journalism. A 42-year veteran of broadcast journalism where he

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

55

“My only complaint was seeing roving groups of alumni wandering across served as a reporter, talk show host, and news bureau chief for Wisconsin Public Radio in Wausau, Glen also produced and moderated numerous debates and forums during his career. He is the recipient of many awards, including seven regional Edward R. Murrow awards from the Radio and Television News Directors Association.

Before moving to Wausau in 1993, Glen worked as a reporter and national correspondent for WFLD-TV Fox News Chicago and as a cable television news director and anchor in Chicago’s Fox Valley suburbs. He was recently diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. Glen’s wife of 42 years is a custom design jeweler. They own a retail jewelry store, The Northwoods Goldsmith, in downtown Wausau.

Class Correspondent: Monta Lee Dakin 303-979-9307, mld780@aol.com

1975 Spring has sprung. Sheri Sprung Morrison has sprung around the U.S. lately: Boston, D.C., Chicago, Ashland, Seattle, New Hampshire, Maine, Hawaii. Israel is next. She credits her energy to a 5x-per-week exercise regimen. Sheri’s future plans include piano lessons. ❯ Timothy and Valerie Hiatt Burke enjoyed a three-week trip with friends to Scotland and England last fall. Tim writes he still “tries hard not to be the boomer who has an expensive guitar collection he can’t play.” ❯ Dan Martin looks forward to more travel now that wife Veronica has retired. Their daughter studies journalism at Northwestern, and their son lives in North Carolina. ❯ Dave and Caroline Seib Dawson regularly meet up with Tina Smith Doppler and husband Fred to enjoy a long weekend. Their latest rendezvous was in Toronto, midway between the Dawsons’ Eastern Pennsylvania and the Dopplers’ Northwestern Indiana homes. ❯ Rick Partin felt moved and gratified by the outpouring of personal anecdotes and Knox recognition for his father, Knox coach Al Partin, who passed away in October 2018.

Rick continues his role as coordinator for outreach and external relations at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. ❯ George Leiner is also in academia. This is his last full-time year in the philosophy department at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. George writes, “Time to finish up my part of the translation project of a new edition of Nietzsche’s Complete Works for Stanford University Press.” ❯ Tim TJ Smith sent a brief note saying it “was fantastic to hear from so many classmates in the prior Knox Magazine.”

[Hint, hint!] ❯ Intrepid traveler Nancy Knapp is excited about her new folding bike, which she can pack up and carry with her everywhere she roams. First up: Sri Lanka! ❯ Your Class Correspondent Jeanne Pankanin bicycles a lot but still prefers motorcycling. Jeanne bought her first motorcycle shortly after graduating Knox and rides regularly with the HighRoad Riders on her 1300cc Honda Interstate. ❯ Linda Nelson Langston continues to consult for the National

56

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Association of Counties, and Dave Langston travels along providing “chauffeur, roadie, tech support, and personal security services as required.” They spent some time with other Knox grads, including son Eric Langston ’07, while serving at the Chicago Food Depository. Their great joy is 3-year-old grandson, David James, a “potential future Knox College Hall of Fame winner.” ❯ Paula Ochs still works as a family therapist and psychodramatist seeing clients and training psychotherapists. She lives in Northern New Jersey with husband John. Son Jess is a data analyst. ❯ Our final news comes from Bob Hennes, who retired from the U.S. Forest Service after 40 years. While now enjoying an increase in exercise, as well as hiking and playing piano, Bob still serves as advisor for the national leadership program he helped create. Besides his daily life as a ranger, Bob counts career highlights as his work related to salmon fisheries, major wildfires and hurricanes, and liaising with Congress to place hundreds of miles of rivers into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. He and wife Kay live in Northern Wisconsin. Daughter Erin is on the psychology faculty at Purdue, and daughter Sarah is a global financial analyst. ❯ Won’t it be fun to catch up IN PERSON with classmates at our big 45-YEAR REUNION, October 23-25, 2020? Mark your calendars!

Class Correspondent: Jeanne Pankanin jeanne.knoxfriend@gmail.com

1976 So you may have recently read about all the accolades The Knox Student has received. While its excellent writing staff is no doubt a factor, some speculate that the recent article in the student newspaper featuring Jim Goril is what truly catapulted the Student to national glory. The recent article about Jim highlights his successful dental career and how Knox provided him with a great foundation. It is a great article. If you email me I’d be happy to forward it to you. I thought for sure Jim would mention those nights listening to Deep Purple at Sellew-I, but somehow that didn’t make the article. ❯ Tom Yarotsky ’77 recently asked me to extend his sincere thanks for the scores of messages, prayers, and good thoughts he has received from follow classmates.

Tom went through serious health issues during 2018 and received a heart transplant in early December. He is in recovery stage now and doing extremely well. He is truly touched and appreciative of all the thoughts and concerns he has received from fellow classmates. ❯ Glenn Ruklic attended the Rose Bowl Parade with his family in January 2019. Glenn, an accomplished horn player, beamed on the sidelines of the parade, since his son, Cary, is the band director of the Lincoln-Way High School Marching Band, which was one of the feature bands. Prior to the parade, Glenn apparently advised the band of the Class of ’76 kazoo marching band techniques! ❯ Professor Lane Sunderland recently spoke to

the Knox Chicago Lawyers Club group in fall 2018. As always, his talk was informative and engaging. The talk was held at my office and approximately 25 Knox grads were in attendance, including Scott Szala ’75, George Rosic ’74, Susan Zucker ’78, Joe Morrison ’79, Barb Adams, Jennifer Frier Sarna ’96, Julie Rademaker ’83, Eric Langston ’07, Kent Sezer ’75, Tom Smedinghoff ’73, and many others. ❯ Congrats to Tom Farrell, who is now vice president of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Association. Tom is an active writer and frequently travels to writing conferences throughout the country. ❯ That is all for now. Send me a note if you would like me to share it in the column.

Class Correspondent: George M. Pearce 1114 Forest Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091-1655, 847-256-5968, geoknox@comcast.net

1977 Greetings all! In June, I met up with Mitch Baker and Brian Bond, who were on a road trip to Chicago to meet up with some of Mitch’s high school buddies. We checked out the venerable Twin Anchors in Old Town for ribs and had to have a couple at the Old Town Ale House. The next day, we met up with Ed Jepson and had lunch at one of his haunts in Berwyn, then headed to his digs in Riverside to have our minds blown by his new sound system—contact Ed if you want hear any LP from your Knox days. Cue “Blue Sky!” As Ed is now retired from his 38 years of toil at Chicago law firm Vedder Price, he now has time for “volunteer work, sleeping in, and having fun.” Congrats, Ed! ❯ I also shared a catch-up lunch with roommate Mary Kay Luby Donnelly ’78 at the Bryn Mawr Breakfast Club in Lincoln Square, Chicago. She was about to embark on a trip to visit daughter Brigid, a Ph.D. candidate in English on a fellowship in London, this summer. Son Ryan is a sushi chef in Portland, Oregon. MK still works as an elementary school teacher in a Catholic school in Chicago.

She continues to be active in the dog rescue community, and, in addition to husband Gary, shares her home with a Boston Terrier and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. ❯ Our classmate Tom Yarotsky is recovering from a heart transplant that he received December 1, 2018. Send him a text of encouragement at 936-525-0101. ❯ Susan Runyon-Davis sends greetings from Seattle, Washington, where she connected with Gary Jacobson. Susan was visiting daughter Lydia (who participated in the Knox basketball camp in 1997), while Gary was in town for work. Gary dropped by to help her celebrate granddaughter Luna’s second birthday. “It was glorious to have a momentary meeting of Knox alums!” ❯ Doug Hill writes: “We have three kids, and all three finished grad school within one week of each other: a master’s degree in education, a nurse practitioner’s degree, and a doctorate in physical therapy. Luckily, I stopped paying when they finished college. I plan to try out a Half-Ironman

Class Knox campus who looked very old.” —David Bates ’78 on Homecoming 2018 this summer, and if I’m lucky and win my age group, I will be off to South Africa for the world championships. But given that I’m the oldest in the age group now, my chances are a little slim. I also intend to do age group national championships along with our classmate, Bryn Douds.” ❯ Speaking of Bryn Douds: “Doug Hill and I will be in Cleveland on August 11 competing in USA Triathlon National Championships. This is my first time, and Doug says it would have been his lucky number 13 last year except that he fell down the stairs at home.” ❯ Amy Eichengreen Andrews shared this news: “Steve Andrews ’76 and I are very busy these days. We have one beautiful granddaughter who is almost 3 years old. She will soon be a big sister. Our oldest daughter is also pregnant and will give birth this June. The babies are both girls, so we will have three granddaughters. We love to babysit. Steve is semi-retired and works a few days a week. I still teach. We love to vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where we have a second home, whenever we have the time.” ❯ From Laurie Anderson: “Greetings from St. Paul, Minnesota. In July, I retired from my in-house corporate general counsel job. Much of my free time is spent volunteering at Secondhand Hounds dog and cat rescue. Husband Jon and I specialize in doing rescue transports. We work with shelters and transporters in Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa, as well as many other states. I enjoy retirement and hope to do some volunteer legal work as well. First, I have travel plans and other bucket list projects.” ❯ Mara Malakoff got in touch: “Very much enjoyed reconnecting with classmates at our 40th (my first time back to Knox in 20 years). Another college reconnect this year—I visited a friend in Oregon I met during my junior year on Knox’s Besançon program (and hadn’t seen in over 15 years). And Diane Slaviero ’77 and her husband visited me in North Carolina in December. I live on a lake north of Charlotte and enjoy evening swims during the summer. I keep active with kayaking, tennis, sailing, and hiking. I work for Bank of America (almost 30 years; now in technology group with focus on data). One daughter graduates from MIT in June, majoring in environmental engineering with a heavy focus on computer science/data analytics. She has two paid research projects this year! The other daughter is now in her fourth year, assisting with marine microbiology research focused on tracking the evolution of bacteria/viruses. She will move to London to work for Facebook as a data scientist, and I am dreaming that there will be a bed there whenever I visit!”

Class Correspondent: Sarah Kaull 52 Ober Street, Beverly, MA 01915-4733, 978-810-0181, skaull@icex.com

1978 First, let me thank Pam Swafford and John Luthy (and everyone at the College) for a great

job in organizing and delivering a great Reunion!

The campus looks great and is full of positive energy, and the ’Burg is holding its own (downtown looks the best I have seen in years). My only complaint was seeing roving groups of alumni wandering across campus who looked very old, but whom upon closer inspection were from classes five and 10 years younger than ours! How can that be? I can’t help but see the familiar grounds through my 19-year-old eyes, at least until the occasional and shocking images I see in the mirror. We had a great turnout, and it was great to catch up with so many people. ❯ I am sure others will report on the long ordeal and amazing heart transplant and recovery of Tom Yarotsky ’77 here in Houston, but I will just add my well wishes to Tom and his family and thankfulness for the miracles of modern medicine. ❯ The rest of the news is slightly less exciting. ❯ Jim Foley likes the name of my new law firm (Foley). ❯ John Luthy returned to the frozen tundra known as Chicago after Thanksgiving, which was spent in Northern California with his sister’s family, his younger brother and his wife, and his daughter. He joined fellow Phi Delt Brian Sullivan ’79 in traveling to Macomb to check on a rental house there, staying in Galesburg and walking around campus. They had never been to Lake Storey while attending Knox (they had a sheltered life) so drove out to check it out! Both of them realized how little of Galesburg we saw while at Knox. Christmas was spent with friends in Chicago, as daughter Kate traveled with friends to Morocco, sending wonderful photos of their exploits, which included camping in the desert on Christmas Eve! His son and daughter-in-law blessed him with a grandson on January 2, at 12:50 p.m. John has already planned what his first car will be (both toy and real!). He sold one rental house and plans to selling his house in Naperville, in case someone is looking for a large ranch house near Chicago! He planned to visit Santa Barbara in late January and again in early March, with a visit in between to visit his daughter in Dallas. ❯ Susan Haerr Zucker reports that in November, she and Paul Zucker spent a few weeks with friends in Morocco, with the highlight perhaps being “glamping” in the Sahara. She says the sand dunes were amazing, and riding a camel was not nearly as difficult as she expected. They found the country fascinating, the food fabulous, and the people friendly. Paul went off to bike in Death Valley in February with fellow Knox friends Craig Steele ’76 and Tim Loch and wife Mary. Susan had to miss the adventure to be on campus for meetings. ❯ Bob Castle wrote to say that he and Deb Raphael Castle ’77 wanted to thank everyone who beat the bushes to get us to Galesburg! He says, while the ’Burg has taken more than a few lumps, parts of the town have rebounded, and Knox looked great. It was great to hear about classmates’ families and retirement plans (unbelievable!), as well as more than a few aches and pains. He noted that during convoca-

tion, the Class of ’68 was remembered for its place in a turbulent time for our nation. Our turn is just around the corner. We’ll see you in 10, if not sooner! ❯ Brad Milton reported that he still works in Germany as a contractor for the Defense Health Agency, managing the design of the new hospital being built to replace Landstuhl Medical Center. “Still”—as in he started in 2011 at the 20-percent design mark expecting to be done by 2018, but is still there in 2019 at 30-percent (DESIGN!) with a potential occupancy date of 2026. Good news: He likes the work, the people he works with, and living in Europe. “Oh, and I’m learning a hell of a lot—which still feels nice.” Wife Peg works for the Department of Defense Education Activity as an ESL teacher in a local DoD elementary school. She, too, likes her work and living there. They travel frequently—they spent Christmas break with their kids in Amsterdam and visited Luxembourg in January and Paris (again) in February. He says it is amazing that so many of these places are closer to them than Kansas City was to their former home in Omaha. Daughter Emily was just accepted into a Ph.D. program at University of Michigan. Son Evan is about to launch his own computer engineering firm. And not to be outdone, cat Otto turned 6 months in February and already knows how to fetch. ❯ Senator Julie Jones Morrison reports that she and Joe Morrison ’79 are now grandparents of five, including twin boys born in December. She had to miss our Reunion as it was too close to Election Day, and she had to stay in the district to campaign. Luckily, she won another four-year term and returns to Springfield as chair of the Senate Human Services Committee and Vice Chair of Public Health. I find it telling that she reported on her grandchildren first, and then on being elected as senator—way cool. ❯ It was great to hear from Steve Fraser as well. He is in Southern California and is very pleased to now be working with his great friend and the best lawyer he knows, David Koester ’76. David finished a long and distinguished career as a senior executive with Nationwide Insurance to join Steve’s firm, Fraser Watson & Croutch LLP, this past year. They specialize in defense of health care providers (too bad they aren’t in Illinois, where they could lobby important senators). ❯ Tim Hays made it back to his first Reunion since graduation, and it was great to catch up with him.

He is very busy running his family manufacturing business near Pittsburg, so it was a sacrifice I appreciated. By the way, his year abroad in Barcelona when we were at Knox paid dividends—he sells most of his products outside the U.S.! ❯ That’s all for now. Please drop me a line when something exciting happens. Faithfully, your scrivener of record ...

Class Correspondent: David Bates 174 Haversham, Houston, TX 77024-6248, 713-722-0815, dbates@gardere.com

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

57

David Schwartz ’81 retired from the Department

1979 Hey ’79ers…GUESS WHAT!? IT’S OUR 40TH CLASS REUNION THIS FALL!!! Before we all get too old to even remember we went to Knox, isn’t it time to rekindle those old memories? You know—studying into the wee hours of the morning, sprinting across campus to catch food service before they closed, falling asleep in the library and drooling into your econ book. Ah, the memories. I hope that we can get as many as we can to come back. I know for sure that I will be there, along with Eric Jackstadt, Rollie Thomas, and Jim Nehf. Make your room reservations fast! See you the first weekend of November. ❯ On a sad note, Karen Pierson Thomas shared this belated news: Carlen Arnett passed away unexpectedly of natural causes on December 20, 2016. (Karen saw a notice in the Friends of Writers blog, which is affiliated with Carlen’s MFA program at Warren Wilson College.) I’m pretty sure that Carlen was still married at the time of her death to Keith Parker ’82. They lived in Port Jefferson, New York, and had one son, Theo. Carlen’s friends held a fundraiser to plant a tree in her memory. The sugar maple tree is at Cloverdale Park in Highland Park, Illinois, across the street from where Carlen grew up and next to a tree that Carlen had planted after she lost her mother. There is a memorial plaque there. ❯ That’s about it from me. Hope to see you in the fall. Kisses!

Class Correspondent: Brian Cox bjcox5257@att.net 618-406-7014

1980

Greetings from the Class of 1980. Hope all is well. ❯ Judy Heitman Miller writes that in September 2018, she was promoted from legal services director to executive director of Administer Justice, a legal aid serving the Chicago collar counties. Her role will include expansion of the organization to open new legal aids across the country. ❯ Kurt Pearson has enjoyed retirement.

After he completed a two-volume work on the Swedish community in his hometown called Swedenberg, the town has become interested in its Swedish roots, and the Crystal Lake Park District and Crystal Lake Historical Society have planned a Swedish Midsommar event this June with folk dancing, live music, lectures, crafts, and displays.

When that is complete, Kurt and wife Jodi hope to spend some time abroad. ❯ Peter Jackson’s day job is VP for ecommerce at Napa Home and Garden, based in Atlanta. Through the magic of the internet, he gets to work remotely from tiny little Rockdale, Wisconsin. This allows him to pursue his passion of making pottery (at least part-time) in his studio. Peter’s work can be found online at www.wakefieldhandmade.com.

Napa also imports and wholesales a line of pottery he designed, which he makes in Honduras with a group of potters he has worked with for the past 20 years. Peter makes at least one trip a

58

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

year to work with the potters there. He is also involved with a group called Potters for Peace, which works with potters in Nicaragua, and helps promote ceramic water filter technology worldwide. He and Megan just celebrated their 25th anniversary last June, and their two kids have grown up and flown the coop. Eli is 24 and has become a certified arborist in Asheville, North Carolina. Zoe is 20 and a junior at University of Denver, where she was just accepted into their 4+1 program for a master of social work degree.

Peter is touch with Steve ’83 and Linda Mugnaini McMillan ’81 and got to see quite a few Knox friends at their house in December. ❯ Carol Runyon writes that 2018 was full of changes but was a blessed year. Carol’s mother, B.J. Naffziger Marion ’51, passed away in January 2018. They enjoyed attending Knox alumni lunches together in Phoenix over the years. Carol turned 60 in May and did a “staycation” in Scottsdale with friends and family. Her son moved up to Flagstaff to attend college, so she is now officially an empty-nester. Carol is still in apartment property management and loves her job. Her mortgage is now paid off, so she started 2019 out with a bang! Carol enjoys hiking, biking, and just chilling out on her time off. ❯ Marsha Sanders McCormick welcomed her second grandson on September 12, 2018. His name is Lincoln Maxwell. His older brother, Terrence, turned 5 on January 19. She is still at SSM St. Clare Hospital in Fenton, Missouri. She and husband Jay celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary on August 20, 2018, and spent a beautiful four days on Mackinac Island, Michigan. ❯ As for me (Roy), I celebrated my 60th birthday and beating cancer in Scottsdale during New Year’s 2018. Great to see lots of friends and family. Steve Holmes and his wife, Brenda, made it out. Great fun!

Class Correspondents: Roy Brandys 1818 Feather Nest Drive, Cedar Park, TX 78613-1414, brandys@barronadler.com Joe Moore 1431 West Fargo, Chicago, IL 60626-1810, 773-848-5796, joe@joemoore.org

1981 Belinda Morrill married Neal Anthony Meader, a lovely Englishman, on February 14. She plans to move her private practice in geropsychology to Palm Springs. Daughter Hannah Rose Turner has started her third year of college in the Pacific Northwest. Isn’t life grand? ❯ Paul Martin writes, “Over the past three years, wife Nanci and I have had two daughters get married, with the third now planning an October wedding. We were also blessed with twin grandsons last November and expect a granddaughter in a few weeks. Both of our law practices are rolling along, but Nanci is eyeing cutting back to help with all the grandbabies. We plan to see the Stones at NOLA Jazzfest in May, and Matt Luetger and wife Alice and Craig Murphy ’80 and wife Mary

will visit us later that month on the way to their own New Orleans vacation. We also hope to get up to Chicago this year for a visit with the usual Knox suspects!” ❯ Mark Chelmowski shares, “Last fall, Mike Takehara, Chris Daniels, Nolan Hetz, and I got together with Reed Graf in Mequon, Wisconsin. We watched the Brewers in the playoffs and had a great time reminiscing.

Reed has had some serious health issues this past year but subsequently had a well-attended book signing in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, to introduce two delightful children’s books that he’s written: There Is a Mouse in My House and A Tale of 4 Tails.

Anyone looking for fun books to give as a gift or for something to read to grandchildren can order them at reedgrafink.com.” ❯ Jennifer Eich writes, “I’ve returned to teaching Latin American literature and Spanish language full-time after a year of sabbatical and three years as an associate dean in the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts at Loyola Marymount University. Currently, I’m in charge of our modern languages major program and enjoy making the 3-4-hour commute only twice a week. My husband (now an associate dean at Occidental College) and I participated in an alumni gathering at a larger L.A.-area brewery run by a Knox alum, and it was great fun sharing our stories of Flunk Days, especially as a great range of ages was present. I have an article on Culture Clash’s play Chavez Ravine coming out, and I’m working on a book manuscript about noted and unknown colonial and modern Latin American and LatinX women.” ❯ Warren Krup writes, “I look forward to retirement in a couple years and spending time with my seven grandchildren. I’m fascinated reading Tom McMillan’s trip reports, which provide proof that retirement is not just shuffleboard and bingo. Running and participating in the leadership team for the BQ2 Marathon—the nation’s top Boston Marathon qualifier, which draws runners from all over the country with a few from other countries as well— helps keep me active in the running community and in shape. One of my 2-year-old grandsons ran the Fox Valley Progressive Kid’s Marathon in fall 2018. During the summer, we ran a mile on 25 different days and then on the day of the race we ran the last 1.2 miles, allowing him to complete his first marathon. His mile runs were actually running about a quarter to a third of a mile and then doing a run/walk until we completed a mile. It was a lot of fun. I hope you are all healthy and enjoying time with your families.” ❯ Lisa Gould writes, “I did notice that we were particularly silent in the most recent edition. I have never contributed, because I don’t feel that I have anything particularly newsworthy to contribute but perhaps this is my opportunity. Since graduating from Knox, I earned a M.D./Ph.D., followed by surgical residency. I have worked as a reconstructive plastic surgeon for 20 years now, providing care to the underserved. As associate medical director of the South Shore Health Center for Wound Healing (Weymouth, Massachusetts), my practice focuses on a surgical approach

Class Knox of State Foreign Service at the end of 2017. to difficult wound healing problems and clinical research. In recognition of my work, I just received the Distinguished Service Award from the Wound Healing Society. I now live in Warwick, Rhode Island, where my husband and I lovingly care for a carriage house built in 1854. My husband is a maritime historian and was just elected to the executive board of the Oliver Hazard Perry, the official tall ship of Rhode Island. Weather permitting, we sail our own boat, and I race J-22s with an all-woman crew. I have not been back to Knox but I do skim the alumni magazine when it arrives.” ❯ David Schwartz writes, “I thought I’d drop a quick line in response to your note asking for more news. So here’s the scoop on my life! Ruth Ellis ’83 and I live in the Washington, D.C., area, where we’ve been based on and off for the last 25 years. I retired from the Department of State Foreign Service at the end of 2017 and thoroughly enjoy the less structured lifestyle.

Over the years we served in U.S. embassies in Taiwan, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Iraq, and, most recently, Israel. Son Daniel teaches high school math in Colorado, having followed in my father’s footsteps as a teacher. Daughter Raychel caught the travel bug that I’ve had since my junior year studying abroad and currently lives and works in Lilongwe, Malawi, doing poverty alleviation work. Ruth has morphed her career several times from being a family practice physician to conducting vaccine development work while overseas and, for a number of years, has been a consultant in pharmacology development work. We both do some volunteer work as well, her with the Citizens Climate Lobby trying to pass legislation to protect the environment and me most recently volunteering to help pass a constitutional amendment in Virginia to ban partisan gerrymandering of legislative districts. We have been very lucky in life and always count our blessings!” ❯ Rob Boton says, “I don’t have anything new and exciting to report. I still work hard as a pediatrician in Hoffman Estates and Algonquin. Married to Debbie. Five great children between the two of us, all trying to do their best to get by and repair a broken world.” ❯ Chris Daniels writes, “Coming up on my 15th year this spring as a family doctor with the NCH Medical Group in Arlington Heights. Proud Grampa of 3-year-old Carter, plus the wife (of 32.5 years now) and kids are alright.”

Class Correspondent: John Nicolau 930 Huckleberry Lane, Glenview, IL 60025-2302, 847-657-6311, j.nicolau@comcast.net

1982 From Steve Czerwinski: “After five years of planning, Selina and I finally made our big move to Belize this past summer. We now live in the beach in Orchid Bay—located in Northern Belize’s Corozal District, halfway between Corozal Town and the fishing village of Sarteneja. Want a good mental picture of this place? Think: Tropical Mayberry, complete with dirt roads, hand-

cranked river ferries (three-four cars at a time, thank you very much), and quaint little villages.

All we need is Andy and Opie. Nothing moves fast here, so I fit right in! The best part of all of this is that they speak English. I’m thinking we have a great location for our 50th Knox College Reunion!” Congratulations, Steve! ❯ From Mary Stoffel: “I still work full-time as an OB-GYN in Madison, Wisconsin. Proud to be one of four partner/owners—plus three employee providers—of the only all-female owned medical practice in the county (and still fiercely independent in a big-system city). I keep even busier by serving as president of the medical staff at UnityPoint Meriter Hospital in Madison and volunteering for other organizations when I can.

I have tried to travel to figure out where to retire, so I’m interested in any who have become ex-pats elsewhere. My two grown children are in town (including Eva Marley ’13), and I keep track of my dad, Don Stoffel ’54, who now lives here.

Love ‘politicommiserating’ with Sharon Schillereff, Tony Santamaria, Jeff McCasland ’82, Peter Jackson ’80, Paul Irvin ’81, and other Knoxies on the dreaded Facebook! Thanks for keeping the faith!” Mary, see Steve for some expat conversation. ❯ I recently met up with Noel Dolan Adachi after too long out of touch. She is one year into her term as CEO of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and has enjoyed the challenges of running the organization. Daughter Michie just completed her MBA at Wharton and works for AB-InBev in New York. Son Kazemi is a junior at Yale majoring in applied physics. Jun Adachi ’81 is doing well, too, and particularly looks forward to working his way through the entire AB-InBev beer menu. ❯ Annette Andresen O’Donnelly lost her home in the Woolsey fire outside of Los Angeles.

Luckily, she, her husband, three kids (the fourth lives in Colorado), two dogs, four cats, a rabbit, a guinea pig, and a turtle (transported in Tupperware) made it out safely. They are currently staying with Annette’s folks in the L.A. area and eagerly await the experience of trailer living while their place is rebuilt. ❯ Megan Williamson’s Defying Gravity: The Circus Paintings exhibition was shown at Rare Nest Gallery in Chicago in December and January.

Class Correspondent: Sharon L. Schillereff 7780 W 38th Ave., #404, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033, 303-885-7185, Sschil7470@yahoo.com Chris Bohm Gavlin 4246 Howard Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558, 708-246-1419, cgavlin@gmail.com

1983 Class Correspondent: Laura Thompson Sears 132 Heath Place, Westmont, IL 60559-2644, 312-899-1660, lsears@gouldratner.com

1984 Class Correspondent: Valerie Jencks P.O. Box 825, Downers Grove IL 60515, knoxcollege84@gmail.com

1985 Kathy Gedamke sent me long, newsy email in early January. She writes: “This has been a busy year for me. I just got off a three-week winter break. I enjoyed every minute of it, cooking, crafting, hiking, and gardening. I have a ‘huge’ class of 21 students (usually I run about 8 to 15, with the max being 24) here at Keiser University.

We are in our second year of our new Math Quality Enhancement Program, which involves the use of computer software to aid student mastery of our entry-level math course. I have been involved pretty much from day one on the Planning and Implementation Committees, as well as being one of the first two instructors to pilot the program. It helped that our campus was just building a new facility, which allowed us to include the new math lab that the program requires. There have been some ups and downs, as with all new projects, but overall, our results so far have been good. On the home front, the kids are growing up way too fast. (In case you missed it, I have seven!) Oldest son Nathan (28 years old, yikes!) is happily married (three years), as is oldest daughter Sarah (one year). No grandkids yet.

My other three boys are gainfully employed and thinking about college. Ian and Jorin, like Nathan, are into computers. Gareth is one class shy of his AA degree, while working in construction and ballroom dancing, but his ultimate goal is to be a physician’s assistant. Shari, just turned 19, is my nonconformist; she never quite finished high school and would rather work with orphans in Africa. Or maybe rescue dogs and cats. Hopefully getting her driver’s license this month will help motivate her a little more. My youngest, Karen, just turned 17 this month! Over the winter break, we took a drive to visit Southeastern University, a local private school that she is interested in. Not all of my kids are academically inclined, but Karen is definitely a scholar. In 11th grade, she is finished with her high school credits already and has several college credits to her name. She may very well enter Southeastern as a junior. Now she just has to decide which of her many interests she will focus on in college.

Meanwhile, my husband of (nearly) 30 years is semi-retired, still writing on occasion, and playing hand drums for fun and exercise. Recently he won us a trip to Isla Morada, in the Keys, for three days. I’m definitely looking forward to that!” ❯ Jordi Prats has been celebrating some of the achievements of his father, Professor Jorge Prats. Jordi says: “Dad, brother John Prats ’93, Jessica Jones ’08, family, and I attended the rededication of Jorge Prats Field in late September. It was great to see many of Knox’s soccer alumni, the beautiful turf, and the

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

59

“Yes, I do remember sledding in the bowl, though I don’t remember how esteem with which current players hold Jorge. He still cheers on our great teams from the sidelines as often as he can. That very evening, Papá and I traveled to Spain for another milestone: the 50th anniversary of Knox’s Barcelona Program. Knox President Amott, current students, alumni, program faculty, and friends gathered at the Passeig de Gràcia’s Hotel Majestic for a celebratory reception, the highlight of a great week of visits with friends, family…and a paella or two!” ❯ Jim and Ann Johnson Stanger have moved to Rutland, Wisconsin, in the country outside of Madison, since the kids have left home. Jim is a partner in a growing business that sells ATMs, ITMs, and other solutions to financial institutions. Ann continues to work in her independent practice of functional medicine. They see Robin Carre and Beth Potter ’89 frequently. ❯ Craig and Lisa Poor Watson are still in Newburgh, Indiana. She says: “Our oldest, Emma, is in her first year of PT school at Washington University in St. Louis, and our youngest, Anna, is a freshman at Butler University. In September, we met Connie DeRooi Brewer and husband Brian in the Chicago area. They were in the States for a family wedding. While in Chicago, we all met with Joe and Margaret Camasto Flanagan, Margaret Verkoulen Lynn, and Barry and Eva Johnson Petersen for dinner downtown. It was lovely to get to together and I hope we can all do it again soon.” ❯ And finally, Starla Sholl has been hanging out with Knox friends and traveling the globe. She says, “Last summer I went to Springfield to hang out with Robin Butler, Janelle Rettig ’87, and Linda Kane and wife Liz at Diane Newell’s home. It was wonderful to spend a weekend all together again. In September, my wife and I took a two-and-a-half week trip to Cambodia and Vietnam. We went on a tour with 110 other women. It was amazing how friendly the people were and how content most were. This year, my wife and I plan to ride our Harleys to the National Parks in Utah.” ❯ Well, as Kathy wrote to me, that’s all the news that’s fit to print.

Class Correspondents: Margaret VerKoulen Lynn mvlynn@comcast.net Jane Davis jedavis_ill@hotmail.com

1986 Class Correspondent: Susan Bantz 2012 Shady Lane, Muscatine, IA, 52761, 563-554-9213, sbantz001@luthersem.edu

1987 Class Correspondent: Lisabeth Simms Belman 12701 York Mill Lane, Clarksburg, MD 20871-4034, 301-972-3751, lisabeth1208@verizon.net

60

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

1988 Hi to all! I recently asked our class: Did you ever sled in the bowl? What is your fave winter memory? My personal winter memory is of trudging across the quad during winter for 6 a.m. swim practice. Yes, some mornings were gorgeous; others were harsh. If there is anything that tested my mettle, it was jumping into 67-degree water, halfdressed, in the winter! Ugh. To this day, I have not encountered anything physically or psychologically harder than that first step. Sue Knutson ’89 and Cindy Moore Waddell ’87 can relate to my pain as they were often with me. Now, what I heard from others—it’s good stuff! ❯ Matt McQuaid writes, “Knox winters sucked. But I remember trudging through the campus to my job of shoveling snow or vacuuming the CFA. I recall great basketball games—especially in 1988 when we painted up and brought some energy to some significantly crowded conference home games. The wind blew a little harder on my way to class. I could tolerate it much more when the Phi Delts or the Betas were open for a party.

Dancing to great music and other extracurriculars made Knox winter much more tolerable. I never had a bad day, week, or month at Knox College. No chill could ever diminish that heat.”

Awesome and so true. ❯ Elizabeth Moslander says, “Freshman year, sitting in lounge chairs on the tennis courts (outside of the cafeteria) in the snow late spring wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I’m pretty sure Sue Rasbid was next to me ‘sunning.’” ❯ Bill Norris-York added, “My favorite memory of winter is finishing the last class of the day, going back to my room, and taking a nap.

When I woke up, just before heading to dinner, I would look out at a beautiful winter sunset, which filled me a sense of peace.” ❯ Tim Parmenter shared that he and Nadine Williams Parmenter moved from the Chicagoland region after 27 years to the Louisville, Kentucky, area for a new job opportunity. Two of his kids are in college; the other two are in a new high school. “Yes, I do remember sledding in the bowl, though I don’t remember how we got the trays out from the cafeteria. We visited Bo Matinchev and his family about seven years ago in Fayetteville, Arkansas, because my in-laws live nearby. I have talked with John Doyle (and his brother, George Doyle ’86) on occasion, too.” ❯ Rhonda Miller shared this: “On the winter memory, I can remember stomping across the lawn from Post Hall in what seemed like six-to-eight feet of snow during one of those Midwestern blizzards. I cannot remember where I was headed, but I remember marching there since the snow was so deep. I was probably as going to get some over-easy eggs from the Oak Room or those wonderfully soft dinner rolls they served. I think of that food sometimes—maybe not the best cuisine, but certainly in the top 100 of campus food. I especially loved the little round potatoes they offered, which my dining companions will know was my go-to food. You can tell that I grew up not far

from Galesburg with this obsession for starch. I have since overcome it (well, most days).” She also shared, “Wife Jen and I live in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and I’ve been at Bucknell University since 2006 working in university advancement. I was appointed to the position director of stewardship and donor relations in May. My team of five and I handle all things related to donor relations: scholarship awarding, gift acknowledgments, agreements, endowment reporting, stewardship events, etc. Previous to this, I was assistant director of development, with responsibilities for presidential prospect interactions, proposal and agreement writing, provost/dean interactions with donors. Prior to that, I was an AD in prospect research and management. I’ve kept some of my most recent duties as the campaign proposal writer, and I still create our gift agreements. My jobs in development have morphed over the years, usually meaning that I keep pieces and shed others as I take on new roles. I love being a multi-purpose player at Bucknell as I tap all my skills. My favorite piece is my continued work with our president, who is fabulous. It’s not lost on me that Knox’s great president was formerly a professor at Bucknell. I did not know her since our times did not overlap, but I do know some folks who do. Knox also has a fabulous leader. Before development, I had a long career as a journalist working for newspapers, then magazines. I worked for The New York Times Magazine Group for Tennis and ran their trade magazine. I was also managing editor for a national HR magazine. I left Knox with the idealist notion that I would work in a bar and write fiction ... it turned that nonfiction was my strength, which you might question from this letter. Organized writing, editing, and critical reading skills have served me well. After leaving professional journalism, I obtained an M.S. in library and information science from Drexel and pursued technical librarianship for a time. When Jen and I met nearly 14 years ago next month, there weren’t any librarian-related jobs available in Central Pennsylvania, and I was hired to run the prospect research office for Susquehanna University. The job fit well with all my acquired skills. I must say that being educated at a liberal arts institution greatly helped my abilities to find work and excel in many fields. I am grateful for the well-rounded experience, especially hearing the mantra that we could apply our Knox education to anything. I don’t get back to the area as often anymore as both of my parents have since passed, mostly recently my dad in 2017. If anyone is interested in coming to a Knox Club in Central Pennsylvania, I’d welcome it!” ❯ In September 2018, Randy Cox was appointed to the board of directors of the Illinois Bar Association. A partner at FeldmanWasser in Springfield, Illinois, his practice focuses primarily on criminal defense, administrative proceedings, wills, estates, and probates. He earned a J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 1991. ❯ Laurie McHugh shares, “I will get married to Albert

Class Knox we got the trays out from the cafeteria.” —Tim Parmenter ’88 2019 Alumni Achievement Award Bridget C. Coughlin ’94 At this point, Bridget Coughlin probably needs no introduction—not only did she grace the cover of the fall 2016 issue of Knox Magazine, she was also the speaker for Commencement 2019. Nonetheless, let’s revisit some career highlights: Following her graduation from Knox, she earned a doctorate in biochemistry from University of Iowa. Next, she joined the National Institutes of Science, where she served as managing editor of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and led research teams funded by the National Institutes of Health, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory.

She began her museum career as vice president of strategic partnerships and programs and adjunct curator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, leading the creation of the museum’s health exhibit and establishing a National Institutes of Healthfunded Genetics of Taste Lab, where visitors can participate in ongoing research on the science of taste. In 2016, she assumed the leadership of Chicago’s world-renowned Shedd Aquarium as president and CEO, where she works to spark compassion, curiosity, and conversation efforts for aquatic animals. “[Bridget Coughlin’s] accomplishments have established her as one of the brightest leaders of any education, research, and conservation organization today,” says Tyrone Fahner, past chair of the Shedd Aquarium’s Board of Trustees.

BREA CUNNINGHAM

Alumni Achievement Award Winner

Bayen, the most wonderful man, on May 4 in Sebastopol, California. We have planned a honeymoon in Holland, where Albert was born, and I have enjoyed learning some conversational Dutch in anticipation of meeting his relatives. Combining households is a challenge; I plan to move to Cotati, where Albert lives at Frogsong, an intentional cohousing community.” ❯ Lil Maria Castro-Rosabal writes, “When I first came to Knox College, I was aware that my ‘tropical Costa Rican gear’ would not withstand the winter cold that I was about to experience. I had been in the U.S. several times during summer, but just a few times during the winter—and mainly down South. My first experience with all four seasons happened at Knox College! Its beauty and the powerful nature of it, still leaves me perplexed every year. It was at Knox that I saw snow for the first time. (As a secret, I have to tell you, many Costa Ricans believe ‘cold’ is something you must be ‘so careful about’ and should try to avoid at all cost. The most minimal decrease in temperature is a reason to very quickly put a sweater on and wrap up yourself like a taco.) Structures in Costa Rica are not insulated. There is no heat, and few people have fireplaces. Besides that, Costa Ricans practically live outdoors, with a very well-built anti-seismic structure that only gets closed up at night or when it rains. There is only what we call ‘summer,’ which is the dry season, and ‘winter,’ when it rains in the afternoon but the temperature is of tropical nature. It feels tremendously cold at night when the temperature drops 10 to 15 degrees—from, say, 80, to 65! This is when, one must quickly get into a sweater to ‘protect’ from that ‘dangerous venting wind!’ As you can imagine, my very first experience of a flake, happened just on the side of Post Hall overlooking Post 3 and 4! As I was walking to celebrate my birthday with friends and my now-husband, Jonathan Riemitis ’90, those gentle flakes came soaring over us that fall day! The joy at seeing snow for the first time was indescribable! I was so happy the storm turned to be like six inches by the time we were back from our outing! Definitely, snow balls were thrown around, snow angels were made ... it was so much fun! A birthday never to forget! Friends, still very dear to my heart! In the most amazing place, i.e., Knox College! That of course, was just the beginning of sledding down the slopes of the Knox Bowl with cafeteria trays for hours and hours in the dark of night! Cheerleading at the edge of the field, hardly feeling your face and body from the cold, completely numbed, but screaming our lungs out, truthfully believing that our cheers could help win the match.” ❯ These were great memories. Knox winters were tough sometimes but the friends and environment somehow seemed to make it all very manageable. Thanks for sharing everyone!!!

Class Correspondent: Gayle Pikrone Richardson 1220 Crestview Drive, Batavia, IL 60510-1180, gayle.richardson35@gmail.com

How did Knox influence your career?

Community service is one of the College’s core values and such a part of the DNA of the place.

What do we hope for this organization and for the communities we serve?

How can we impact, positively, more people—here, on-site; there, out in the community; and everywhere, digitally? How can we do more good—here, there, and everywhere? We have 2 million visitors who come here a year. How do we provide vehicles for them to have a collective voice about conservation and about the science of aquatic animals?

What advice do you have for Knox students?

Seek help when you need it. I had to learn to go ask professors for help. This campus is small enough that you have freedom, but you can’t hide.

See more about Bridget Coughlin’s Commencement address on pp. 34-35.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

61

A second documentary film by Indira Somani ’92, LIFE ON THE GANGES,

1989 Mitchell Grayson has been named to the Grant Marrow III, MD Endowed Chair in Pediatric Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Congratulations, Mitch! ❯ Hope to see you all in Galesburg for the 30th(!)

Reunion, November 1–3, 2019.

Class Correspondent: Mia Jiganti 1850 W. Cortland, Chicago, IL 60622-1035, 773-278-0814, mjiganti@prodigy.net

1990

(Let’s not mention that it was for an educational catalog...cover model sounds MUCH cooler!) :-) Next weekend, moreover, is the debut for a movie that Hailee and I were in many years ago. It’s a wacky slasher movie, so not really my thing, but it’ll be fun to see how it all went together and if we made the final product! Aside from work, we like to travel and keep up with Hailee’s sports. In the last year we’ve been to Switzerland and Germany hiking and San Antonio to see the Riverwalk. We plan to explore Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam in October and spend two weeks in Hawaii at Christmas time with my parents. We have to fit everything in between Hailee’s busy schedule as, in addition to being a straight-A student, she also plays varisty softball, track, and golf and junior varsity basketball and volleyball. I keep trying to push her towards a Knox education in three years, but she has her eyes on University of Wisconsin–Madison, which wouldn’t be so bad as it’s closer, and I look better in red and white than I do in purple!”

Class Correspondent: Darcy Turner 520 Colony Woods Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, bonetbien1@nc.rr.com

1991 Kellie Monroe Wilke wrote, “I thought I would send a note for the alumni notes while I have a snow day due to the polar vortex! I’m still a school social worker with the Henry-Stark Special Education District. I now have licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) status, and I’ve been assigned to Stark County Elementary in Wyoming, Illinois. I absolutely love it! I have a

SUBMITTED

It’s been a season of loss for me. My beloved dog, Molly, died on August 8. My dad, James Turner ’49, a Gamma Deuteron FIJI, died on December 27. While studying to be a school counselor, I took a class on change throughout the lifespan.

How when you’re in your 20s, you’re having fun, maybe getting married, settling down, nesting.

Then raising kids. After a while, the time comes when you must be a parent to your own parent.

These strong men and women who raised us are now in need of care and love, too, whether it’s a ride to a doctor’s office, a home-cooked meal, a goofy joke, or spending time just listening. Our roles are reversing as we begin to need to help our parents more. A lot of us are having to do eldercare. It’s difficult, but rewarding at the same time. In March 2018, I resigned my position as a Spanish teacher so that I could be there for my dad in North Carolina. He was 93; lots of his friends had already died, and, for a man who built theatre sets at Knox, or made furniture for fun, it

was hard for him not to be able to do these activities. Dad would have folks during the day, but I was the night shift. Happily staying up for when he asked for something or just wanted to chat.

Overall, we’re still young, but as we age, let us remember those who came before us, those who are with us now, and know there’s going to come a time when that parent/child switch will come.

You may not be ready but keep it in the back of your mind so you’re not surprised. ❯ I recently learned that Jeannette Zeck passed away in early February. Pleases keep her in your prayers, along with her husband, Dave Murphy. ❯ And now, on a different note, we hear from Peggy Klingberg, who writes, “Sorry it’s taken me soooo long to respond! It’s funny that you remember the headphone story....I STILL do that (mostly to overhear conversations...lol)! Everything is well in my neck of the woods. I live outside Madison, Wisconsin, with Jack, my husband of 18 years, and our daughter, Hailee, who will be a junior in high school this year. Wow! Just typing that makes me feel old. For the most part, I’ve enjoyed a career in pharmaceutical sales since leaving Knox. I’ve sold products in psychiatry for almost 20 years now. Currently, I specialize in injectable medications to treat schizophrenia. It’s a great job, albeit stressful. In the silly world of pharma, you tend to get downsized when your product goes generic, your company fails to get insurance reimbursement, or the product just doesn’t sell. On the upside, that gives me a chance to ‘recreate myself’ every couple years!! I still get to dabble in acting and have even done a few local/regional television commercials and print ads and even got a cover modeling job.

Drew Sherman ’00, wife Melinda, and Ben Latimer ’97 hosted the Knox football team and their families after their game at Grinnell College.

62

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Class Knox is now available on DVD. really great group of kids and staff to work with.

Family news includes son AJ’s marriage last September, bringing me a new daughter-in-law, Rebecca. It was a great day and they are a great couple! He’s an electrician and she’s an accountant. Daughter Katie has started her second year in the U.S. Navy as an AME 1. In short, she works on all safety systems such as brakes and ejection seats for the F-18 Super Hornet jet.

Needless to say, I’m a pretty proud mom. This is quite old news but I’m not sure if I reported to you that I myself got remarried in September 2016 to Jeff Wilke. He works in marketing for John Deere and makes me smile everyday. Life is good!” ❯ As for me, winter has been quite harsh in 2019, but I do remember my dad taking us iceskating outdoors in Chicago in negative degree weather in the ’70s. The hastily built wooden warming shelters were our only saving grace. It seemed much more normal that we should all be outdoors and freeze most of the winter. No Canadian Goose jackets either. ❯ I wish you all well, and hope you will send some more updates for our next issue!

Class Correspondent: Jonathan Sheinkop 260 Cary Ave, Highland Park, IL 60035, jonathansheinkop@hotmail.com

1992

Happy New Year from the Class of ’92. ❯ Chris Poe and Brian Kendall overcame two decades and a time zone to reconnect. “We picked up right where we left off. Great laughs and that great soulful pocket we always had,” says Chris. ❯ Indira S. Somani writes, “I was promoted to associate professor with tenure in the Department of Media, Journalism and Film at Howard University’s Cathy Hughes School of Communication, Washington, D.C. My second documentary film, Life on the Ganges, (lifeontheganges.wordpress.com) is now in DVD distribution through New Day Films (newday.com).

Prior to that it screened at film festivals in the U.S., plus festivals in Berlin, Cannes, and Mumbai. However, last spring, I was most proud to hear from Dr. Nancy Eberhardt, who asked if I would serve as the external examiner for a Knox student’s honors project. Soumitra Thorat ’18 from Pune, India, produced a thesis called, “Learning to Use WhatsApp in India: An Ethnographic Study of Instant Messaging in Pune.” It was most rewarding to return to campus, meet Soumitra and his other committee members, and give back to Knox. I also visited the A.B.L.E. House to honor and celebrate its 50th anniversary on campus, where I finally reconnected with friend and mentor Professor Robin Metz.”

Class Correspondents: Celine Gura Matthiessen 6417 Marlar, The Colony, TX 75056-7119, 469-384-1805, celmatthiessen@hotmail.com Tammy Thorsen Ragnini 912 S. Summit, Barrington, IL 60010-5057, 847-382-4022, rragnini1@yahoo.com

1993

1995

It was great to see so many classmates at Homecoming. If you haven’t already found the Class of ’93 Facebook page (www.facebook.com/KnoxCollegeClassOf1993), check it out. We posted pictures of the fun, our Veritasiness t-shirts (you can likely still get your hands on one), and remembrances of some classmates who are no longer with us. ❯ Sue Lin Yee and partner Mike Gerhard welcomed the birth of their son, Zane Yee Gerhard, on November 9, 2018. He arrived seven weeks early so lived at the Emory University Midtown Hospital until December 28, when his parents brought him home.

He likes life at home with big cat brothers Junior and Chewbacca and Sue Lin’s mom, who visited from San Francisco. Sue Lin is pleased to report that there were fantastic developments with the arts-infused projects funded by the Zara Yee Hawthorne Memorial Arts Fund. These projects are a collaboration between classroom teachers and teaching artists and result in learning experiences that enable students to identify and apply connections between two of or subjects using different arts approaches. Working with the Decatur Education Foundation and City of Decatur elementary schools, three out of five elementary schools have embarked on projects that will culminate in final presentations and performances in spring 2019. (See decatureducationfoundation.org/ impact for one pilot project on the importance of water that was completed in fall 2017.) ❯ Chris Stevens writes: “The biography I authored, Forty Gavels (www.FortyGavels.com), has won some awards: American Book Fest WINNER Biography—General; American Book Fest WINNER— Best Interior Design; NIEA—WINNER Biography-General; IPPY—BRONZE— Book/Author/Publisher Website, and FINALIST—American Book Fest—History: United States. I wrote the entire first draft. Thank you, Knox.” ❯ Sree Yedavalli writes: “Slow and steady wins the race. It was an absolute thrill to see a ton of the Class of 1993 at Homecoming 2018 for our 25th Reunion. Martinis, dancing, reminiscing, and a whole ton of fun was had.

Since then, wife Nalini and I bought a house in Plano, Texas, and have solidified our position as transplanted Texans. I look forward to involving myself more directly in the community, and keeping a watchful eye on sons Arjun and Amith as they matriculate from middle school into high school. I hope the 25th Reunion class picture from Homecoming 2018 gets posted somewhere in the alumni magazine, because there are quite a lot of good looking people in that photo! So many beautiful smiles.”

Class Correspondent: Rebecca Gillan Ballard rballard@knoxalumni.org

Nicole Rousseau adopted a beautiful daughter, Brigitte Geneviève Rousseau (Gigi), on January 8, 2018. They couldn’t be happier together if they tried! ❯ Christopher Murrie got engaged to longtime partner Holly Green. They plan to marry in summer 2019. ❯ Vikki Rompala married her best friend, Jeff Zollicoffer. ❯ Mirelle Warouw had a grand time this past summer hanging out with Knox friends on both the West and East Coast Washingtons. She spent a week glamping off the Puget Sound with Juliana Tioanda and Aaron Khoo ’96 and reconnected with Craig Miller ’96 and Linda Ma ’96. Upon her return, she got to hang out with Shilpa Bhalerao, Kristina Maldre ’94, Wendy Paulsen, and Nancy Kunkel Defauw during their last evening in Washington, D.C. Kim Wiederer ’94 was even able to join the group on speakerphone! It was fun reminiscing about the crazy times at Knox! ❯ Andrea Miklasz and Craig Bechtel ’94 have adjusted to life with son Luke attending DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. Luke is pursuing a B.F.A. in film (with a concentration in editing), with minors in business administration and TV/digital arts. Andrea has struggled to manage urticarial vasculitis, a relatively rare blood disorder, as well as autoimmune skin reaction. In the midst of dealing with that health challenge, she has also worked to launch a personal proprietary formulated line of skin care products for extra sensitive skin called LUX Chicago Skin Care.

Class Correspondent: Nicole Havelka revnhavelka@gmail.com Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @revnhavelka

1994 Class Correspondent: Lisa Preston-Hsu 217-649-7889, story.of.a.kitchen@gmail.com

1996 Class Correspondent: Kathryn Dix Biallas 1418 East Colter Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014, 602-944-7466, kathybiallas@gmail.com

1997 Michelle Allmendinger completed a Ph.D. in higher education administration in May 2018.

She now serves as dean of student development at Clinton Community College in Clinton, Iowa.

Class Correspondent: Josh Mika 6619 Mountain Ridge Pass, Plainfield, IL 60586-2844, jrmika@gmail.com

1998 Winter in Chicago this year was great for crosscountry skiing, and I was lucky to get out there!

Gliding through the cold and quiet forest really feels exhilarating. Though I missed Homecoming, I sure did enjoy seeing pictures and hearing stories from the weekend. Cheers to all those who made it back to Galesburg and had the chance to get together! ❯ Brian Gawor shared that he currently travels the country as a

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

63

Jessica Van Dyke ’05 has left private practice to start fundraising consultant and vice president for research at Ruffalo Noel Levitz Inc. He’s in the final stages of his doctoral dissertation and also puts out a podcast at FundraisingVoices.com. Check it out! ❯ Ben Beaty posted to the Knox Class of 1998 Facebook Group to share that he was sorry to miss the main event but had a great time reconnecting with Luc “Rob” Doeve in Haarlem, Holland, over the recent Homecoming weekend. ❯ Michael Vanlandingham wrote, “I was sorry I could not make it to the Reunion. Money was just too tight at the time. I am back in Arkansas and substitute-teaching at Elkins Middle School and Elkins High School. I live on the family homestead in the house my grandparents built in the 1940s. I really enjoy having 137 wooded acres to wander and have taken to writing more. I am now a contributing writer for Quora Digest at www.quora.com if you want to see what I am doing. I am so much happier to be back home and see no reason to ever leave Pinnacle Mountain again. I can sit on the deck with the house lights off and see more stars and planets than anywhere I have ever been. I plan to plant a garden this spring and enjoy the peace and quiet. If you happen to be in Northwest Arkansas and want to get away from the hustle and bustle, come on up. Until next time, miss you all.” ❯ Ben Moeller-Gaa wrote, “Thrilled to have my first full-length collection of poetry make its way into the world. It’s titled Wishbones and is from Folded Word out of New Hampshire. It consists

of 60 haiku and senryu poems rendered in Carolingian calligraphy script by J. S. Graustein. It’s available just about anywhere that sells books online. A big thank you to those who came to Homecoming and stopped by my table to snag a copy! If you’ve got a space in your town that does readings and/or workshops, hit me up and we can see if we can make something happen.” ❯ Aimee Gall writes, “Finally *finally* sold my house and split from the husband. Yayyyyy!!!!!! All four of us (our kids are 10 and 6) will be so much happier this way. I also really enjoy my career in surgical oncology. We deal with cancers of the upper GI tract and related organs (esophagus stomach, pancreas, liver, bile ducts) and complex surgical issues of the abdomen. Very rewarding.” ❯ Stay in touch! Join the Knox College Class of 1998 FB group.

Class Correspondent: Kip Conwell kipconwell@gmail.com

beautiful children). He continues to work in athletics. We laughed so hard about our Knox days and road trips. Seems we were up for any kind of adventure in those days! ❯ On October 13, Drew Sherman and wife Melinda and Ben Latimer ’97 hosted the Knox football team and their families after their game at Grinnell College. It was a great group and a great win for the team! Drew and his wife bought the Grinnell home he grew up in about three years ago. They have four kids: Thea (10), Maryn (8), Graham (6), and Emmett (4). ❯ Christopher Wise continues to live in New York City (where he has been since graduation) with wife Aura and two kids, Eliot and Harry. He recently joined the firm DeWitt Stern, a specialty insurance brokerage, where he is part of the fine arts practice. ❯ Nate and Lauren Douville Boylan are expecting Baby #4.

Class Correspondent: Jennifer Parker parker_jen78@yahoo.com

1999

2001

Class Correspondent: Valerie Saks Kihslinger S3042 W. Salem Ridge Rd., La Farge, WI 54639, 608-268-6903, vsaks@hotmail.com

Class Correspondent: Allison Honaker allisonhonaker@hotmail.com

2000 In September, I traveled to Philadelphia for work and was able to connect with Andrew Morris and meet his lovely family (wife Eliza and three

2002 Class Correspondent: Jennifer Wreyford 1700 Bassett Street, #407, Denver, CO 80202, 813-482-4112, jwreyford@gmail.com

2003 Haley Volpintesta received am M.A. in sociology this past December from University of Illinois at Chicago and sat for her Ph.D. qualifying exams in January. Haley writes, “I also had another baby last July—so we have four little ones now! Elijah is 11, Noah is 9, Korah is 6, and Micah is 1.5.”

Class Correspondent: Allison O’Mahen Malcom 8134 Gridley Avenue, Wauwatosa, WI 53213-3049, allison.o.malcom@gmail.com

SUBMITTED

2004

Guests at the Bill Murray-themed wedding of Stefanie Turner ’04 sat at tables decorated with props and memorabilia from some of the couple’s favorite Bill Murray movies, including this Royal Tenenbaums-inspired setting.

64

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Darin Dunphy reports, “I am the new academic support coordinator for the TRiO program at Sauk Valley Community College. Additionally, I will complete a master’s degree in college student personnel–higher education leadership from Western Illinois University in July.” ❯ Jasmine Jobe and Doug celebrate 10 years together. ❯ Tiffiny Grace Ramirez was blessed with a son through adoption on October 13, 2018. ❯ Maggie Claudy writes, “Sarun Teeravechyan ’01 and I welcomed our son, Oliver Gray, to the world on June 12, 2018. Big sister Samantha is as deeply smitten with him as we are. I returned to work after Thanksgiving—I am still the math RTI coordinator at Oscar Mayer Magnet School in Chicago. This is my third year at this school and seventh year of teaching. I’ll soon join Mary

Class Knox the Tennessee Innocence Project.

2005 Jeremiah Tuna Sodomka is currently a property claim field manager at American Family Mutual Insurance and was recently selected as a 2019 All 4 One AmFam employee for excellent performance. In October 2018, Amanda Smith Sodomka was appointed as director of legal s ervices of the Juvenile Office in Jefferson County, Missouri, which reviews and prosecutes legal cases involving child abuse or neglect and juvenile delinquency. “We otherwise remain busy with our two daughters and rambunctious puppies.” ❯ Jessica Van Dyke writes, “I still live in Nashville, Tennessee, where I worked at a small law firm practicing criminal defense for the past seven years. The new year has brought new changes, however, as I’ve left the firm to start the Tennessee Innocence Project. Like other Innocence Projects, we will investigate and litigate claims of actual innocence of inmates in Tennessee prisons. We’ve never had an organization like this in Tennessee, and I’m excited about pursuing a real passion of mine. We don’t have many Knox alums in Nashville, and I would love to see folks if they come visit Music City!” ❯ Jenny Logan writes, “Baby Oscar joined the ranks of the Logan/Riecker household in April 2018. Big brother Frank adores ‘his baby’ and likes petting him with his cheek.” ❯ Susannah Go reports

2019 Young Alumni Achievement Award Joel O. Christensen ’06 Part of the promise of a liberal arts education is that it has the potential to introduce students to entirely new fields of study they never even knew would interest them.

This is not a story about that kind of student, though. When Joel Christensen first visited the Knox campus as a high school junior, he already knew that he wanted to pursue a career in law. He met with Professor Lane Sunderland to learn more about the College’s pre-law program, about the political science department, and about internship opportunities for students interested in going on to law school. He liked what he heard.

By the time he graduated from Knox, with a double major in political science and philosophy, Christensen had completed three internships—one with a private law firm, one with a state public defender, and one with the Supreme Court of the United States, where he helped the Court prepare for the investiture of Chief Justice John Roberts. At Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, he distinguished himself with the quality of his writing, going on to serve as editor-in-chief of Washington University Journal of Law & Policy and receiving the Mary Collier Hitchcock Prize for outstanding writing from the law school faculty. (Perhaps the highest endorsement of all: Christensen now teaches legal writing as a member of the school’s adjunct faculty.)

After graduating law school in 2010, he joined the firm of Devereux Murphy as an associate, then spent two years practicing with Armstrong Teasdale before joining his current firm, Behr, McCarter & Potter, P.C. In 2016, he was promoted to partner at what he describes as “the best law firm in St. Louis,” just six years into his legal career.

Christensen is deeply committed to the community where he works and lives, serving as a member of the St. Louis County Bar Association’s executive committee and as a member of the Lupus Foundation of America’s board of directors. “The Knox experience—academically and socially—gave me the tools to attend and succeed in law school and in society,” he says. “I think back regularly to experiences and conversations at Knox, and maintain close relationships with my friends and faculty—those relationships are among the most important in my life.”

BREA CUNNINGHAM

Alumni Achievement Award Winner

O’Malley on the University of Chicago’s Pi Beta Phi chapter alumni advisory council.” ❯ Kindall Nelson writes, “I currently have four children: Lauren (13), Gabriella (15), Isaac (17), and Alexandra (21 and a senior at Bradley University). I started Hire A Housewife (hireahousewifepeoria.com), a residential cleaning service, in May 2012. We offer fully customized cleaning, organizing, errands, laundry, etc. at a flat hourly rate. I now have seven employees, including an operations manager who takes care of the day-to-day business while I work on other pursuits. This is especially exciting to be able to share considering I started this company in desperation after we lost nearly everything and the four kids and I were living in a camper, homeless, for six months. One of my other business pursuits is Peoria Music Live (peoriamusiclive.com). Started in September 2017, we promote all of the live music within an hour of Peoria. Our overarching purpose is to boost the area economy, starting with the live music scene. We have just begun to partner with small businesses in the area that want to be known in the community as live local music supporters.” ❯ Susan Vitous Johnson writes, “Chad and I are the lucky parents of another wonderful little boy, Nikolas George Earl Johnson, born December 23, 2017. Big sister Imogen and big brother Hunter think that he’s the best toy they ever got.”

Class Correspondent: Susan C. Vitous Johnson 1312 Iles Avenue, Belvidere, IL 61008-1407, susanvitousjohnson@yahoo.com

What would you say is your most noticeable achievement?

My most notable achievement is personal: having a loving, supportive partner and best friend for my spouse and raising two amazing children with her.

Any advice for current students?

Enjoy every minute of life at Knox, but don’t be afraid to leave the Knox bubble when the time comes. Knox has prepared you well for whatever challenge comes next!

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

65

WILDWHIM PHOTOGRAPHY

Emmie Barford Strassberg ’05 is a maternal-fetal medicine physician

Rachel Abarbanell ’02 and Michael Botti — June 30, 2018

LEFT TO RIGHT: Jason Fobair, Bill Murray, Stefanie Turner ’04.

Frazier in Tulum, Mexico, in January 2018. Joe Mohan ’03 stood in the wedding. Ellie and I moved to New York City in February.” ❯ Dave Sierpina writes, “I live in California now with my wife of 13 years, Carme Carbonell, and beautiful 2-year-old daughter Julia Felicity Sierpina. Carme participated in a year-long exchange program from the University of Barcelona. We met at Knox in my junior year and fell in love. I lived in Barcelona with Carme for over a year and then we came back to the States. I work as an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Loma Linda Eye Institute, and my wife is a fourth grade dual language immersion teacher at Washington Elementary in Riverside, California. We are very grateful to Knox for all we learned there, and for giving us the opportunity to meet!” ❯ Diana

SUBMITTED

that son Isaac Go Seiler was born on February 18, 2018. ❯ Ali Birnbach writes, “Hello fellow Knoxies! I just celebrated 10 years in my position as a reference librarian at the Mill Valley Public Library. This past May, I successfully won a grant for my library for programming related to PBS’s Great American Read nationwide campaign, making our library one of 50 in the country—and the only library in California—to win the grant!

Outside of work, I recently became the guardian of a rambunctious and lovely three-legged 7month old cat, Gus. If any Knox peeps ever roll through the San Francisco Bay Area, give a shout and we’ll meet up. Finally, I was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Professor Robin Metz. He was a wonderful and inspiring human.” ❯ Dan Morgridge writes, “I got married to Eleanor

Stefanie Turner ’04 and Jason Fobair — June 9, 2018

Peter McKeigue ’04, Mary Tibbets ’06, and Jenni Davids ’06 get together at Emerald Tavern Games & Cafe in Austin, Texas.

66

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Erica Jaffe ’08 and Matthew Bloomfield — October 6, 2018 LEFT TO RIGHT: Ashley Olson ’09, Liesl Pereira ’10, Tim Schmeling ’11, Meredith Kopelman ’08, Tina Cavyan ’08, Erica Jaffe ’08, Matthew Bloomfield, Nick Perry ’08, Rachel Wintheiser Perry ’08, Sue McCowin ’80, Jennifer Gallas.

(Hannah Rapp ’09 was also in attendance.)

Shavitz Baker lives in Hoffman Estates with her husband of 13 years, their 9-year-old daughter, and 1-year-old dog. ❯ Emmie Barford Strassberg writes, “I live in Northern Virginia and work as a maternal-fetal medicine physician in the Shenandoah Valley area and Northeastern West Virginia as well. Husband Gordon and I just welcomed our first child, Levi Rowan Strassberg, in October and enjoy the adventure of being new parents. I published two papers recently on research I worked on with ACOG during a fellowship. ‘Obstetricians’ knowledge and practices regarding the management of preeclampsia’ will be published in the next issue of the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine and ‘Patient attitudes towards influenza and tetanus, pertussis and acellular diphtheria vaccination in pregnancy’ was published in the July issue of Vaccine. I am working on two more papers and taking my maternal-fetal medicine boards this fall. Life is busy but good!” ❯ Tom Bazan writes, “I completed my graduate studies at the University of Southern California, earning a Master of Public Administration. Elizabeth Presley Bazan and I continue to live in Springfield, Illinois. We are both involved in our Kiwanis and church communities. I am the assistant deputy director for research at the General Assembly’s nonpartisan research agency, and Elizabeth is the interim director of education at the Illinois State Museum.” ❯ Jacqueline Dehne Scafidi has been busy this last year coordinating her company’s efforts on rewards and recognition within the employee experience and culture environment. She was excited to have her first online blog post with Achievers on the topic.

Spouse Matt and children Alexandra (7) and Vivian (5) are great. Matt and Jackie recently celebrated 10 years of marriage with a trip to Maui in Hawaii. It was an adventure of a lifetime!

Class Correspondents: Marissa Parkin moeparkin@gmail.com Ashley Steinsdoerfer Gottlieb 815-245-3648, agsteinsdoerfer@aol.com

Class Knox serving patients in the Shenandoah Valley and Northeastern West Virginia.

Lauren Assaf ’10 and Stephen Holmes — October 26, 2018

Creal Zearing ’10 and Matthew Olson — May 19, 2018

FRONT ROW: Carla Hamilton McDowell ’10, Jessica Jones ’08, Meghan Reardon ’08, Chelsea De Jonge Fitzpatrick ’10, Benjamin Fitzpatrick ’08.

Lauren Assaf-Holmes ’10 poses with Oliwia Zurek ’10.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Andrew Raridon ’09, Sarah Kosmicki ’10, Helen Bartlett ’10, Carrie Bueche ’10, Meredith Lirman ’10, Tanya Novotnak ’11, Matthew Doyle Olson , Creal Zearing ’10, Kevin Box ’12, Doug Fennig ’10, and Brooks Fitzpatrick ’10.

Austin. Pete has been with the same company for five years now and enjoys his work as a seniorlevel database administrator, and I was recently promoted to senior media editor at the academic publishing company I work for. This past year, we were extremely lucky to meet up with a lot of Knox friends in person. In May, we traveled to San Francisco, California, for a family wedding and met up with Jonathan Gripshover and Adin Horovitz ’08 while we were there. In June, we traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, to see the incomparable Stefanie Turner ’04 get married to a wonderful guy at a Bill Murray-themed wedding, which was something we didn’t know was on our bucket lists until it happened. We also got to catch up with my junior year roommate, Suzy Morgan, at the ceremony and reception. Jenni Davids visited us in Austin in November while she was traveling for business, and we took her to our local board game tavern. We also got to catch up with my first-year suitemate, Christin Datz, over Tex-Mex platters when she visited Austin for New Year’s. Additionally, we regularly meet up with fellow Knox alum and Austinite Will Culbertson ’03, son of the legendary Colleen Culbertson, to watch Marvel and Star Wars movies. Beyond keeping up with Knox friends in real life, we keep in contact with several other Knoxies through the supremely nerdy but enjoyable pastime of online gaming.” ❯ Devin Hogan reports, “Last May, I was elected chair of the Minneapolis Democratic [Farmer-Labor] Party and spent the remainder of 2018 supporting the campaigns and ultimate election of our five endorsed Minneapolis School Board candidates.

This comes after my 2017 campaign for Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Commissioner (Leslie Knope). Though I lost the race, I was able to win over the hearts and minds of Minneapolis by using the liberal arts to reframe how we as a city conceive of our parks as public spaces. This campaign moved the conversations about our structurally unique, #1-ranked park

system from boat launches and jogging paths to climate action and racial justice. I am spending the 2019 off-year laying the groundwork for strong 2020 caucuses and conventions and writing a few op-eds and longreads about topics of local interest. Meanwhile, my market garden across the street is in its fifth(!) year of operation and to combat S.A.D., I’ve converted my apartment closet this winter into a full-fledged production greenhouse. Come by and say hi sometime!” ❯ Justin Valas accepted a new position as policy director for Asian Americans

BACK ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Adam McDowell ’08, Mike Callahan ‘09, Matthew Schmalz ‘08, Matt Allis ’08, Audra Bair Allis ’09, Alex Nimmer ’09.

2006 Jeremiah Tindal writes, “I currently work for a nonprofit called the Miami Music Project as the site director for the Liberty City chapter. We run El Sistema-inspired after-school and summer orchestra programs that provide opportunities for students from challenged communities in Miami and teach them how to play instruments in an orchestra setting. I plan to finish my master’s degree in music business at the University of Miami by the fall.” ❯ Heather Simpson Lynch and husband Mike welcomed their second daughter, Kira, on July 23, 2018. Eliana is a proud and helpful big sister! ❯ Luella Williams says, “Husband Sam and I welcomed a baby boy to our family on August 2, 2018. Lenton is almost 6 months old and is already decked out with Knox gear!” ❯ Wade Powell left the Texas A&M Forest Service and now works for Travis County Parks as a land management specialist, managing flood mitigation properties and conducting prescribed burns on county land. ❯ Rachael Dean writes, “After two-and-a-half wonderful years living in Maine, I’ve accepted a position at the University of Illinois in their international safety and security office. I’ll miss the water and people, but I’ll surely go back to visit. In March, I come back to the great prairie state to make sure study abroad students and faculty are safe and sound. If you’re in the area, let me know!” ❯ Brian Werner and wife Lindsay recently welcomed a new addition: Trudy Helen Hoyt Werner was born on November 11. ❯ From Megan Gamble: “After a record-breaking election cycle spent raising money for EMILY’s List, I’m excited to announce that I have taken a great promotion and headed back to work for NARAL Pro-Choice America!

I’d also like to remind everyone that if you come to Washington, D.C., please be sure to let me know and say hi.” ❯ Mary Tibbets writes, “Peter McKeigue ’04 and I are still happily married (celebrating seven years this March!) and live in

SUBMITTED

Anne Fagerburg ’08 and Thomas Carpenter — July 28, 2018

Tom Griffin ’07 and wife Sarah Johnson welcomed their first child, Owen Mario, on January 3, 2019. Tom found out he was going to be a father on Flunk Day 2018—the perfect day for the best kind of surprises.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

67

Katie Fronczak ’09 recently seized a Cadillac,

Chrissy Morse ’10 and Darryl Parks — October 9, 2018 LEFT TO RIGHT: Andrea Johnston ’10, Aaron Palmer ’11, Ben Mullison ’10, Christina Vanni Mullison ’10, Sam Stacklin ’11, Gail Gallagher, and David Sievers ’10 stand behind Darryl Parks and Christine Morse ‘10 (they’re in the Jedi outfits).

Cassie Milleville ’10 and Joe Garbin ’10 — April 1, 2017 FROM THE BACK (LEFT TO RIGHT): Ryan Maniscalco ’11, Kate Latshaw ’09, Kate Moon-Raess ’10, Neal Moon ’14, Andrea Houlihan ’11, Erin Navolio ’10, Kenny Bisaillon ’08, Christopher Paul ’07, Jaran Rutledge ’08, Stephen Bora ’14, Kevin Corley ’08, Mike Wipper ’10, Cal Kotz ’09, Bryce Goodman ’10, Alex Nadolna ’14, William Milleville ’14, Kristin McDonald ’13, Amanda Sicoli ’11, Jessica DeMory ’11, Holly Bieber ’17, Hanh Bui ’16, Kevin Beck ’11, Joey Graeff ’10, Lucas Motta ’11, Luke Karner ’09, Bob Dempster ’11, George Nicholson ’10, Sara Torina ’08, Samantha Eggert Paul ’10, Zach LoMonaco ’08, Karen Russell Wipper ’09, Danny Kizior ’11, Akiko Rutledge ’11, Aaron Juarez ’10, Jarrett Corrow ’08, Britt Anderson ’11, Jordan Raess ’10, Bill Meyer ’11.

FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Joe Garbin ’10, Cassie Milleville Garbin ’10, Cory Bieber Beck ’10, Jessica Baham ’10.

SUBMITTED

Advancing Justice|Chicago, relocating from Colorado back to Chicago with partner Wendy and kiddo. Asian Americans Advancing Justice|Chicago builds power through collective advocacy and organizing to achieve racial equity.

He’s excited to join an amazing team working on important issues and to get to call Chicago home! ❯ As for me, I sang my first (tiny) role with Dayton Opera’s production of Rigoletto this fall.

Class Correspondent: Megan Rehberg megan.rehberg@gmail.com

Sarah Look D’Ambrosio ’07 and her partner show off their first son, Micah, born on July 30, 2018.

68

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

2007 Hi, all—I hope everyone has been having a blast.

There are not that many notes this time. Feel free to send us an update whenever anything exciting has happened (and even if we did not send out a note). We would all love to hear what our wonderful class has been doing in their lives.

Without anything further, here are the notes from this time: ❯ Sarah Look D’Ambrosio writes that she bought her first house in June in Salem, Massachusetts. On July 30, she and her partner welcomed their first son, Micah, into the world. ❯ Tom Griffin writes on January 3—his own birthday—he welcomed his first son, Owen Mario Griffin, into the world. He and wife Sarah Johnson, a Washington University alumnus, are doing quite well. (Tom found out that he was going to be a dad on Flunk Day 2018.) ❯ Alisha Oscharoff Miller recently graduated with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Loyola University Chicago. She has three children with husband Neill. The family lives in the South Hills outside of Pittsburgh. ❯ Julia Strehlow and husband Ari welcomed Gwendolyn May Strehlow Bernstein on April 17, 2018. Gwen is thriving and spends a lot of time with aunt Sarah Koenig. Julia is navigating the world as a fulltime working parent, which is more challenging than she ever anticipated!

Class Correspondents: Laura J. Wentink Marcasciano 5650 Abbey Drive, Apartment 3P, Lisle, IL 60532-2558, ljmarcasciano@gmail.com Michael C. Sales 8 Maillet Street, Winslow, ME 04901, KnoxClassof2007@gmail.com

2008 Jessica Strache Brandis says, “Baby Faye Brandis was born on June 24, and I am totally smitten!

I’ve had a few Knox reunions since then, but one especially awesome one was with Bethany Vittetoe Glinsmann, Rayla Bellis ’09, and Kate Cochran ’10 in August shortly after Faye was born.” ❯ Mike Giese, his wife, and daughter added a smiley little boy, Caleb Michael, to their family on July 5. Now with two kids under 2, he and Michelle have become certified sleep and potty training experts. (They also have the dark circles under their eyes to prove it.) Acceptable binging options for him these days include: Baby Shark (still), Daniel Tiger, and Moana. ❯ Courtney Meaker spent the summer teaching in Atlanta at the Horizon Theatre New South Play Festival and workshopping a new play at the Kennedy Center in association with the National New Play Network. She will graduate from the University of Iowa MFA Playwrights Workshop this spring and has no idea where she’s gonna go from there. Send job offers. ❯ Andy Fitz says, “Still just being a dad (kids are 4 and 2 now) and teaching high school physics in the northern suburbs of Chicago. This past year, I earned my National Boards Certification, which was a huge undertaking—I’m so glad it’s done and that I passed!” ❯ Ike and Bethany Vittetoe Glinsmann moved to Iowa to be closer to their families, where they’ve perfected their cool aunt and uncle game. Highlights of rural life: driving a tractor during harvest, being the only pedestrians/bikers around town, and cooking “exotic” food for Bethany’s octogenarian grandparents. In their free time, they deep-dive YouTube tutorials for their RV renovation. ❯ Anne Fagerburg says, “I got married in July. My dad, Ted Fagerburg ’71, walked me down the aisle and Meghan Reardon served as my maid of honor.

Knox was also represented by Matt and Audra Bair Allis ’09, Mike Callahan ’09, Ben and Chelsea De Jonge Fitzpatrick ’10, Adam and Carla Hamilton McDowell ’10, Alex Nimmer ’09, and Matt Schmalz.” ❯ Christine Harris

Class Knox a Porsche, and a bunch of cash from a bad man who did mean things.

Rebekah Bally ’12 and Thom Larkin — March 31, 2018 BACK ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Paul Lebryk ’14, Rebekah Bally ’12, Thom Larkin, Jack Marchese ’12, Aimee Neilan ’13.

Oliver Horton ’12 and Lydia Lane Stout — August 18, 2018

Hannah Basil ’13 and Caleb Bryant — July 21, 2018

nutrition. She definitely believes that Knox helped her think of out-of-the-box ways of reaching out to improve the social fabric. ❯ Natalie Haberkamp Paulus says, “This year, my husband and I welcomed our daughter into the world in February and have spent the year sleep-deprived but greatly enjoying watching her grow.” ❯ Miriam Gillan had a blast at Homecoming reuniting with her TSO and Kappa sisters, Caroline Allen, Sibel Karabeyoglu, Stephanie O’Brien, Emily Jensen, and Meryl Leventon. It was super not-fun staying at the Broadview with Erica Tully, Brian King, and Rebecca Gillan Ballard ’93. But it was great to attend events with Susannah Gillan Gawor ’99 and Rebecca Gillan Ballard. You can usually find her creating something while binge watching a TV show with Kaylin Maanum ’10. ❯ Marius Tam says, “Son Tijmen is now 1.5 years old and is a very happy and active kid! Stephanie and I still live in Bloemendaal (a suburb of Amsterdam), where we enjoy the beach—which is very close. I am still at Heineken and recently got promoted to regional director. A big challenge but a lot of fun!”

Class Correspondents: Miriam M. Gillan miriam.gillan@gmail.com Erica Stringfellow Tully e.stringfellow4@gmail.com

2018. Brian joined Oscar Health after finding out how much health care cost., e.g., $25,000 for delivering a baby. And just to be clear, the company’s cofounder is Josh Kushner, NOT Jared.

Very different people. ❯ Iona Cooper: “This past summer I took up roller derby. I am now known far and wide as ‘She Rex #008.’ I passed all of my skills testing in short order, and look forward to bouting with my team this coming March. In less exciting news, I graduated from Southwestern College in November with a master’s degree in counseling and am now officially a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. I currently work at the Santa Fe Recovery Center, a residential addictions treatment facility for low-income residents of Northern New Mexico.” ❯ Toshia Zessin Albright: “Husband Vic and I welcomed our third child in October. Elizabeth Rose has joined ranks with proud big sister Anna and brother Drew. They keep us on our toes and bring immeasurable joy to our lives. We were super excited to welcome fellow 2009 alum Dr. Claire Doskey this year, and we look forward to more adventures together.” ❯ Amanda Chavero and Clint Moore: “Everyone is feeling industrious and productive these days—Clint coaches soccer at Colorado School of Mines, Amanda just joined Denver Food Rescue as the director of development, and the cat caught his first mouse this year.” ❯ Marek Dorman now has a toddler and either she or the cat must be attached to her at all times. ❯ Will Gallmeyer is engaged to be married! He also quit his job (good timing?!) to strike out on his own as Green Projects Group.

What they will do is TBD (good plan?!), but in his 20s, he did not enjoy being managed, so he has decided to give this the old college try (good pun?!). ❯ Mike Callahan lives life a quarter mile at a time. ❯ Sam Jarvis (and Kate Heitkamp Jarvis ’12) hope to see everyone at the Class of 2009 10th Reunion!

Class Correspondent: Sam Jarvis 1059 Lincoln St., Galesburg IL 61401, 309-368-7885 samuelpaulleejarvis@gmail.com

FRONT ROW: Sara Dreiser ’10, Kristi Weller Lebryk ’12, Tina Shuey ’13, Kate Haslem ’13.

and Mark Imielski welcomed a daughter, Gabrielle Grace, on January 22. Mark has also accepted a new position at Calabrese & Associates in Warrenville, Illinois, where he will continue to practice family law. ❯ Erica Jaffe says, “2018 was a big year on my end. Husband Matt and I bought a house, and we tied the knot in October in Chicago. It was amazing to dance the night away with Knox friends. Meredith Kopelman and Hannah Rapp were bridesmaids.” ❯ Erica Stringfellow Tully read 89 books in 2018. She hopes to read 90 in 2019 and continue to watch reruns of her favorite TV shows. No new (entertainment) friends, 2019. She still teaches fourth grade reading on Chicago’s West Side. ❯ Jessica Platt became a published author this past September! She says, “I had been working on the story since BEFORE I was a student at Knox, but I finished it! Flair was published by Outskirts Press and is available on their website and Amazon, and is available for Nook or Kindle. Search for ‘JL Platt’ if you are interested in getting a copy. Everything else is pretty much the same.” ❯ Christy Dechaine unfortunately was unable to make it to Homecoming due to being eight months pregnant. She and her husband welcomed their first child, Rosario Meredith Dechaine-Muñoz, on November 19, 2018.

Christy says, “She is named after two amazing women—my husband’s grandmother and my dear friend, Meredith Shuppy. We hope she approaches her life with their same strength and joy.” ❯ Nehha Bhatnagar spends time between Brisbane, Australia, and Delhi, India. In Brisbane, she loves exploring the outdoors, visiting neighboring countries in the Pacific, and being a homemaker and wife. She thoroughly enjoys cooking and has been experimenting with some East Asian vegetarian cuisine recently. Whilst in Delhi, she runs her foundation, Sarvam, which now focuses on a unique revolution in empowerment of the underprivileged girl child. Sarvam Shakti (www.sarvamshakti.org) is an innovative way to empower the marginalized girl child through ancient classical arts, academia, and

2009 Pac Pobric is an editor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he oversees the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, a Webby Award-winning, general-audience encyclopedia of the museum’s collection. ❯ Sam Bouman is still in Portland, working at a shelter and doing volunteer police reporting. ❯ Katie Fronczak recently acquired a new porch cat named Jimbo and recently seized a Cadillac, a Porsche, and a bunch of cash from a bad man who did mean things. She may also begin making her own vinegar soon, but it’s not decided yet. ❯ Brian Zhang and Camellia Zhao welcomed Damon Zhang, born August 2,

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

69

Rachel Clarke Cole ’12 and husband Michael traveled to Iceland to

Kristin McDonald ’13 and William Milleville ’14 — July 28, 2018 FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Alex Nadolna ’14, Nadia Tapfumaneyi ’15, Jodi Marver ’15, William Milleville ’14, Kristin McDonald Milleville ’13, Marie Fourman ’13, Olivia Williams ’13, Cassandra Milleville Garbin ’10, Joe Garbin ’10.

SECOND ROW: Neal Moon ’14, Anna Claypool ’13, Chantal Heckman ’14, Becky Duffy ’15, Jamie Blue ’16, Jamie Galante ’13, Jordan Raess ’10.

Natalia Binkowski ’14 and Andrew Kaplan — October 20, 2018 FROM LEFT: GraceAnne Roach ’14, Natalia Binkowski Kaplan ’14, Esther-Farler Westphal ’14, and Chantal Heckman ’14.

THIRD ROW: Stephen Bora ’14, Kate Moon Raess ’10, Nate Wilson ’14, Joe Kozak ’12.

BACK ROW: Paul Brar ’14, Abby Owens Kozak ’12, Kelly Ricketts Sullivan ’12, Erin Navolio ’10, Jack Moore ’12, David Jones ’14, Chris McNichols ’14.

2010

SUBMITTED

Valerie Gumpertz Gokhfeld and husband Boris welcomed daughter Amelia on March 2, 2018.

They have loved getting to know this happy little soul over the past few months. ❯ Samantha Newport is in Western Wisconsin with a great wife and a great number of animals. Sam is currently a sausage maker for a small meat processor, a fascinating and valuable craft. She recommends you all befriend your local sausage maker. ❯ Kara Krewer recently finished up a Wallace Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University. She is

Meet Siggy, a dapper young pup who was recently adopted by Diana Preshad ’12 and her husband.

70

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

now pursuing a Ph.D. in creative writing at the University of Georgia, where she’s a Presidential Graduate Fellow. Her poems have recently appeared in Best New Poets, West Branch, The Adroit Journal, and elsewhere. Her chapbook, BornAgain Anything, will be released in fall 2019 from Texas Review Press (Texas A&M Consortium). If you’re in Athens, Georgia, she’d love to see you. ❯ Margaret Spiegel has started her second year as the director of the Nelson Pioneer Farm and Museum/Mahaska County Historical Society in Oskaloosa, Iowa. There are a lot of projects and programs in the works, and she looks forward to helping this organization grow. She has been settling into the community and building friendships. Here’s to a great 2019! ❯ Mary Purrazzo enjoys traveling the world as a flight attendant.

She married Timothy Tobitsch in October; Cheyenne Cortez was her maid of honor. ❯ Mike Orr found a way to turn his hobby of recycling in college into a career. As a TKE, he berated friends and visitors for not recycling.

After college, he moved to Boston and found his way to being recycling director for the City of Cambridge, where he menaces a new population of people for not recycling or composting. ❯ Katherine Williams Booth moved halfway across the country to Atlanta in August and has gone back to school to finally pursue a Ph.D in math. ❯ Daniel and Laura Miller Dyrda purchased a condo in Chicago’s South Loop and are excited to raise their nearly 3-year-old son in a fun and diverse neighborhood. ❯ Sean Frohling and Sasha Murphy ’11 moved to Colorado in June 2018. Sean celebrated 30 by unpacking at his new place in Denver. They celebrated their third anniversary in November 2018. ❯ Marc and Erin Souza Dreyfuss are happy to share a lot of changes in their family. In April 2018, they had a beautiful baby girl named Martha Hope and got new jobs: Erin is the program coordinator at Congregation Olam Tikvah, and Marc is a

transportation planner for Fairfax County, Virginia. ❯ Chrissy Morse still lives in Seattle, teaching science and running Jet City Saber Guild. She married Darryl Parks in a Star Warsthemed wedding and graduated with a master’s degree in public health education in December. ❯ Karen Frost visited Rose Van Grinsven in Colombia. She also got engaged in Cuba and married Dennis Patel in May 2018. Karen also attended the Costa Rica wedding of Jaclyn Anderson ’09 and the Seattle wedding of Aparna Kumar Boehm ’12. ❯ Margaret (Meg) Allen did a bunch of stuff in 2018! She graduated from University of Illinois at Chicago in civil engineering in May, baby Freddie born in August, and she married Kevin Donnelly in October. ❯ Gaby Fox enjoys life based in Beirut, Lebanon.

She continues to work for Mercy Corps, a humanitarian and development organization. Travel keeps her hustling but also allows her to meet extraordinary people, as well as catch up with old friends near and far (not frequently enough).

Always a welcome door and a pitcher of arak on hand for any Knoxies who find themselves in Lebanon. ❯ Allison Smith Hahn has begun work on a master’s degree in library and information science through the online program offered by the University of Illinois, which allows her to continue her job at a branch library in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago, designing creative projects and activities for all comers! ❯ Joe and Cassie Milleville Garbin were married April 1, 2017, at the Union League Club of Chicago. ❯ Carolyn Hill spent 2018 hanging out with Knox friends nationally and internationally, and got a dog (!!). On the professional front, she joined Wilson Sonsini, where she remains a securities litigator. ❯ McKinley Murphy bought a house in the Denver, Colorado, area and hikes a lot. ❯ Krystal Susmani Hunter has lived in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the last two-and-a-half years working as certified child life specialist in the city’s largest

Class Knox explore waterfalls and glaciers while living in a van for a week.

Rachel Janis ’16 and Kelsey Doerflinger ’17 — October 14, 2018

Abigail Neuhauser ’17 and Torin Rapp — June 16, 2018 LEFT TO RIGHT: Kilee Vega ’17, Emma Thornton-Kolbe ’17, Abigail Rapp ’17, Jenny Ripka ’17, Clarice Bernett McCammon ’17.

children’s hospital. After trying the whole medical school thing in Chicago for two years after graduating from Knox, she decided it was not the best fit for her. She moved back to California to get a master’s degree in education from Mills College in order to pursue child life. Life has been pretty fabulous out in the desert. While she could do without the 115-degree days in summer, she met a wonderful guy named Zach Hunter and was married on October 13, 2018, just before her 30th on November 1. She is now officially Krystle Hunter, MA, CCLS, and looks forward to seeing what the future brings both personally and professionally. ❯ Oliwia Zurek is finally done with her postdoctoral life in the lab and now works out of Denver as a medical science liaison.

She helps run Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in one-fifth of the country. When she’s not traveling for work, she enjoys the ski slopes and all the great things Denver has to offer! ❯ As for me, I got married in California in October 2018.

Benjamin Yoder-Henley ’15 and Oliwia Zurek were in my bridal party, and Oliwia had a fantastic time bursting into tears of joy and busting out ballroom moves with me like our old college days.

Class Correspondent: Lauren Assaf knoxcollege2010notes@gmail.com

2011 The Class of 2011 was a bit quiet this go-around.

That can only mean a lot of exciting changes are in the works! (In addition to the ones I’m thrilled to share here, of course.) ❯ Brigette Demke will marry Cole Atcheson ’13 this spring in Chicago.

Jackie Stillmaker continues to help kids and is currently looking into programs for a 200-hour yoga certification to join her 95-hour certification. ❯ Carly Kirven recently got engaged, received her Personal Property Appraiser certification, and became the alumni advisor to the Tri Delta Chapter at Knox. ❯ DeAndre ’10 and Mary Reindl Henderson moved into their new home in Champaign, Illinois, with their 3-yearold. Last November, Mary started working for

the Urbana office of DCFS as a child welfare specialist. ❯ Ndaya Farrell and partner Jeff moved to Chicago in July. They will soon be engaged and will possibly buy a place together.

Sundee Perkins moved last year, too!

Class Correspondent: Tim Schmeling trschmeling@gmail.com

2012 Alex Rauland started working at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong in August 2018. She loves Hong Kong and the opportunities to explore Asia! ❯ Junyoung (Joon) Cho writes: “Biking to Pangyo Technology Valley for work, 10 minutes door to door—talk about being economical, health-conscious, and eco-friendly.

Admitted to Korea’s most prestigious MBA program, now a 2019 prospective student. Who knew a Knox degree would get me this far?

Prairie Fire, Gizmo, Squirrels, and Beyond.” ❯ Lauren Smith writes: “This year I helped open Woodsong Nature School, which means that I now get to spend three mornings each week exploring the great outdoors with a gaggle of 2- and 3-year-olds. It’s the best!” ❯ Hayley Schueneman and husband Guilford recently relocated to Asheville, North Carolina. The eldest of their four little ones just started attending what Hayley believed to be a Montessori school but was actually a local youth production of Into the Woods. She spends most of her time washing dishes, then pausing to dry her hands on her apron before tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. ❯ Julia Shenkar earned a master’s degree in [lIŋgwIstIks] from George Mason University. Her thesis was on sound symbolism in dietary supplement product names and its impact on consumer preference. She is seriously considering a Ph.D., but it will be a cold day in hell before she does full-time work on top of fulltime school again. ❯ Monica Prince, after the sold-out premiere of her choreopoem, How to Exterminate the Black Woman, was promoted to a tenure-track position at Susquehanna University, claiming her new title of Assistant Professor of

Activist and Performance Writing. Her debut full-length collection of poetry, Instructions for Temporary Survival, will be released by Red Mountain Press this July. Her choreopoem How to Exterminate the Black Woman will also be published as a book by [PANK] in 2020. She lives her best life in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, writing, performing, teaching, and editing for the Santa Fe Writers Project’s Quarterly, an online journal. ❯ Rachel Clark Cole and husband Michael live in Iowa City, Iowa, and work at the University of Iowa, where she defended and graduated with her Ph.D. in neuroscience in spring 2018. She is now a postdoctoral researcher in the neurology department, studying cognitive impairments in Parkinson’s disease. Michael is a second year resident in pediatric neurology. Rachel still teaches multiple Zumba and Strong by Zumba classes each week and swing dances when she has time. In summer 2018, they traveled to Iceland and explored waterfalls and glaciers while living in a van for a week—they loved it, and it kind of made them want to buy a van and live in it all the time. Instead they bought a house. Kind of the same thing, right? ❯ Rebekah Bally got married last year at the end of March! She picked a place off the Columbia River Gorge, which is a great adventure destination for anyone looking. “Had just a few Knox folks in attendance, but we all laughed when a train horn went off during the ceremony.” ❯ Diana Preshad writes: “My hubby and I adopted a dog last fall. I also joined a women’s civic engagement group called Junior League of Chicago.”

Class Correspondent: Aparna Kumar aparna.kumarboehm@gmail.com

2013 Lotte Vonk married Michał Kaniewski on January 14, 2017. “I just started working for Flanders Investment and Trade as a trade officer in downtown Chicago, and I am mostly excited about them being able to pronounce my name the right way and being able to speak Dutch!” ❯ Jill Krippel and Justin Dingle live in Springfield, Illinois. Justin got a master’s degree in environmental studies with a certificate in GIS from UIS in 2015 and works as a loan document specialist for Wells Fargo through a temp agency. Jill works for the Illinois Department of Revenue as a revenue tax specialist in Central Registration, specializing in tax location verification. And it only took a year and a half, but their house is ready for visitors for real now. ❯ Hannah Basil married Caleb Bryant on July 21, 2018, and is now Hannah Basil Bryant. She loved having Knox alumni at the wedding and has settled into married life. Returning for her 5th Reunion was a highlight of the fall! ❯ Laura Castanos and Brett Sorby ’12 have a very, very, very fine house, with two cats in the yard. Laura is a little too obsessed with vanilla. Brett gets to talk mathematics everyday. ❯ Sophie Townsend and Gaige Spencer ’19 currently live in a beautiful old

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

71

JENNIFER GALLAS

Kristal Romero ’13 works in communications with the International

Knox Seniors Raise $8,000 for Knox Each year, Senior Challenge marks the transition from student to donor for most Knox students. This year, half of the Class of 2019 contributed $5,008.01 to support financial aid and scholarships, student experiences, and faculty recruitment and retention—earning a $3,000 challenge gift from Nyerere Billups ’99, a member of the Knox Board of Trustees.

Senior Challenge was organized by a committee of student volunteers.

Left to right: Poorva Anand, Co-Chair Jacob Elliott, Senior Class President Bob Lallky; Evan Economos (who designed the Senior Challenge glass), Jordan Anderson, Co-Chair Val Varanese, Salar Malik, Leela Yeleswarapu, and Nyerere Billups. Not pictured are Senior Class Vice President Pam Dang and Jack Dechow.

home in Peoria, Illinois, with the boys—Casey Spencer and Justin Steele—and wonderful and delightful dog Ginger. Sophie has started her second year as the physics and chemistry teacher at Quest Charter Academy in Peoria, and Gaige will finish up his computer science degree at Knox. Sophie spends most of her time these days explaining to her students that she is, actually, funny. ❯ Mike Youkhana: “I just graduated law school from John Marshall. I plan to work at a personal injury firm as an associate attorney after the bar.” ❯ Matthew Turley and Monique Noto were busy planning their March 2019 wedding.

Matthew works as a JPA for a telecommunications company, while Monique is a second grade teacher and plans to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University to clear her teaching credential.

They’ve added a new addition to their family: Hazel, a 1-year-old puppy, who gets along well with cat Shadow and dog Cece. ❯ Kristal Romero still survives and thrives in Washington,

72

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

D.C., only now she works in communications with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and lives her best LaCroix life with new roommate Tim Schmeling ’11. ❯ Stephanie Fore has begun her fourth year of living and working in Honduras, where she deeply misses sour cream but enjoys (badly) dancing bachata and (even more badly) singing karaoke. ❯ Kristin McDonald and William Milleville ’14 tied the knot on July 28, 2018. Woohoo! They also bought a home last June and currently reside in Crystal Lake, Illinois, with furbabies Biscuit and Ollie.

Class Correspondent: Danny Schaefer danielcschaefer19@gmail.com

2014 Amanda Shiew still lives in Malaysia. By day, she puts her English lit degree to good use as operations manager at a public relations agency; by

night, she runs a small creative studio that she co-founded with a friend. It’s a lot of work, but she’s still learning new stuff every day—which is all that she can really ask for! ❯ Grant and Paige Anderson Lowe are very happy to report they moved out of Silicon Valley and are back in Seattle (almost literally next to the Space Needle).

She still writes code for Facebook. He still writes boring manuals for semiconductors that go into interesting things. Both would rather be playing D&D than doing either. ❯ Philip Bennett says, “Don’t fund the wall. End family separation. As Adam Serwer reminds us, ‘The cruelty is the point.’” ❯ Natalia Binkowski Kaplan got married on October 20, 2018, and was thrilled to have a few of her Delta sisters celebrate her day! ❯ Ashley Wolfgang now curates and writes weird travel content as the newsletter editor for Atlas Obscura and moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with her cat. ❯ Chelsea Embree has finally adopted a cat, so this is probably peak adulthood.

She still lives in Idaho after almost five years, somehow, but will move back to the beautifully flat Midwest soon! Until then, she’s preparing for Idaho’s own Womyn’s March and debating if her giant sign should read “Sisters, not cis-ters!” or “My body, my choice!” Maybe both? Maybe both.

Class Correspondents: Esther Farler-Westphal and Natalia Binkowski Kaplan Knoxnotes2014@gmail.com

2015 Class Correspondent: Erik Gustafson gustafson.erik.j@gmail.com

2016 After graduating, Alejandra Andrea Santoyo spent the summers of 2016 and 2017 working alongside multidisciplinary artist Chris Silva, graphic artist CHema Skandal, and Yollocalli Arts Reach restoring and creating murals across the west and east sides of Chicago. She was then hired as a high school program assistant at her alma mater, Little Village Lawndale High School, one of the eight community schools that extends its walls into the community and its high school students. There, she has coordinated classes, resources, events, and opportunities for academic acceleration, arts and cultural enrichment, sports, and outdoor programming. Alongside that, the school has also emphasized summer youth opportunities, high school to college transition, postsecondary success and career exploration, health and wellness, and adult education with family leadership opportunities. Since April 2018, Alejandra has worked as a paralegal and translator/interpreter for a law firm in the Chicago Loop. ❯ Ellyn Rolett received a master’s degree in athletic training in May 2018 and moved to Alabama last August for a job working with three rural high schools in West Alabama.

Class Correspondent: Kati Stemple kstemple2012@gmail.com

Class Knox Brotherhood of Teamsters.

2017 Jenny Ripka finished her master’s degree in library and information science in August and started working as an adult services librarian at the Naperville Public Library in October. “I really like my job. Librarianship is a perfect fit for me!” ❯ Anastasia Gamble currently lives in Chicago and work as a chef while creating art to sell in the near future. “I’ve made a lot of growth and progress this last year and have so many exciting plans for the new year! Nothing would have been possible without the love and support of my family and friends, or my professors, TRIO advisors, and cafe family at Knox. Thank you all for keeping me afloat!” ❯ Micah Wilger recently moved to Seattle and has started a master’s program in divinity at Seattle Pacific University. ❯ Yaoska Mayorga is back in her hometown of Los Angeles working as a receptionist at an affordable housing project. “I love my job because Knox taught me well on how to balance both my interpersonal and professional life. Thankfully, Tianna Cervantez ’06 taught the social service course where I developed the skills needed to work with underserved populations. My job is more than just answering phone calls but listening to those who are affected by the workforce and other societal issues.” ❯ Kelsey Doerflinger says, “This past year has been a doozy. I started a new job at Vadis, which is a nonprofit that helps find and retain employment for adults with disabilities. Rachel Janis ’16 and I got married on October 14, 2018! We enjoy newlywed life with our cat and hedgehog in our small Renton apartment.” ❯ Tevin Liao moved to Buffalo, New York, in August 2018 to pursue a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs administration. He works as a resident director supervising RAs and oversees a building of firstyear students. He has utilized his Knox education to teach the Buffalo State RAs about the value of inclusivity and how to create inclusive environments. In his own words, he “longs for the progressiveness that Knox possesses,” which is a stark contrast to his current academic environment. ❯ Abigail Neuhauser Rapp is currently in her second year of medical school at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. She married Torin Rapp on June 16, 2018. ❯ Marilyn Angelina Barnes is currently a graduate student in social work at the Erikson Institute in Chicago, Illinois. She is also the lead preschool teacher at the Chicago Contemporary Preschool and actively volunteers with the nonprofit organization Circles and Ciphers in the Northside of Chicago. ❯ Almira Karajic looks forward to graduating this May with a master’s degree in higher education. ❯ Elisabeth Zarnoti enjoys her position as an Americorps VISTA member with College Possible. She worked both full- and part-time jobs during the holiday season and is ready to take on a new challenge: She will take courses at Hamline University during the spring semester

to gain certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in hopes of staying in college access/education work, while preparing to apply to the JET program in the next two years. In her (limited) free time, she and Sean Ramsey ’18 enjoy shopping, going out for bubble tea and ramen, hanging out with friends, and cuddling their thick, beautiful cat boi, Salem. ❯ Kameron Wells graduated from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Master of Information Management degree with a concentration in data analytics and data science. He is excited to start a position at Under Armour as a data analyst in their world/global headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. ❯ Jakub Dulak was hired on as the writing assistant, casting associate, and script supervisor for a film titled For Prophet, as well as being a core team member of its accompanying documentary—his second and third major cinematic projects respectively since graduating. “I can’t divulge too much information, but we plan to film in the summer of 2019 and have nearly pinned down Keith David to play a role in the film!” ❯ Elizabeth Clay currently lives in Naperville, Illinois, with big, grumpy dog Fluffy and started a new job in Wheaton last August as a project coordinator at an engineering staffing firm, Per Sé Group. “I finally started dating fellow Knox alum Nick Sienkiewics ’15 a year ago on February 19, and Riya Tiwari gives me a firm ‘I told you so’ as often as possible.” ❯ Mike Sockol is a supervisor for the garden at a community senior center in Evanston, Illinois. “I love my work at the moment. I am also in a master’s program at School of the Art Institute of Chicago in visual and critical studies.” He looks forward to applying to Ph.D. programs in film theory and screen cultures next fall. ❯ Luna Luna has recently discovered a love of teaching as a special education teaching assistant with special needs students at a Naperville, Illinois, high school. She has decided to pursue whatever is necessary to become a licensed teacher—either in special education or English—but she is not sure which yet. In the meantime, she has enjoyed this position while she writes, creates art/crafts, and makes strides in personal growth. She is happy to announce that she is (finally) engaged to Joshua Lewis ’16 and planning a wedding for the summer of 2019. ❯ JC Stokes still teaches junior English classes at Morton West High School and recently moved to the north side of Forest Park (a whole 1.5 miles from her parents!). ❯ Kristina Mengis is excited to start her new job in Omaha, Nebraska, teaching art classes to individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. ❯ Kalie McGuire took a five-month internship with a mental health charity in London, England.

After her time in London, she began work as a field organizer on a Democratic senate campaign.

She is excited to be working on more campaigns in the near future with the 2020 election coming up.

Class Correspondent: Elisabeth Zarnoti elisabeth.zarnoti@gmail.com

Marriages and Unions Vikki Rompala ’95 and Jeff Zollicoffer on 10/13/18.

Rachel Abarbanell ’02 and Michael Botti on 6/30/18.

Stefanie Turner ’04 and Jason Fobair on 6/9/18.

Dan Morgridge ’05 and Eleanor Frazier on 1/20/18.

Anne Fagerburg ’08 and Thomas Carpenter on 7/28/18.

Erica Jaffe ’08 and Matthew Bloomfield on 10/6/18.

Stephen Herzog ’09 and Natasza Marrouch on 4/5/19.

Lauren Assaf ’10 and Stephen Holmes on 10/26/18.

Karen Frost ’10 and Dennis Patel on 4/13/18.

Cassie Milleville ’10 and Joe Garbin ’10 on 4/1/17.

Chrissy Morse ’10 and Darryl Parks on 10/9/18.

Mary Purrazzo ’10 and Timothy Tobitsch on 10/5/18.

Krystal Susmani ’10 and Zach Hunter on 10/13/18.

Creal Zearing ’10 and Matthew Olson on 5/19/18.

Rebekah Bally ’12 and Thom Larkin on 3/31/18.

Oliver Horton ’12 and Lydia Lane Stout on 8/18/18.

Hannah Basil ’13 and Caleb Bryant on 7/21/18.

Kristin McDonald ’13 and William Milleville ’14 on 7/28/18.

Lotte Vonk ’13 and Michał Kaniewski on 1/14/17.

Natalia Binkowski ’14 and Andrew Kaplan on 10/20/18.

Rachel Janis ’16 and Kelsey Doerflinger ’17 on 10/14/18.

Abigail Neuhauser ’17 and Torin Rapp on 6/16/18.

Deaths Mary Liken Richardson ’33 on 9/27/18.

Harriet Hunter Munson ’40 on 11/3/18.

Glenrose Colver Nash ’40 on 1/1/19.

Wyly Parson ’40 on 9/2/18.

Art Holst ’43 on 12/19/18.

Ralph Anderson Jr. ’44 on 9/7/18.

Thomas McClanahan ’44 on 7/23/18.

Alice Dorick Doyle ’45 on 9/7/18.

Phyllis Shafer Walt ’46 on 5/20/17.

Virginia Ivarson Claypool ’47 on 5/20/19.

Margaret Milton Johnson ’47 on 8/17/18.

Louise Kemp Parkinson ’47 on 9/29/18.

James Bowman ’48 on 11/5/18.

Alice Macy Eaton ’48 on 6/6/14.

Robert White ’48 on 1/6/19.

Marcy Thomasson Chaloupka ’49 on 12/27/18.

Donald Cronin ’49 on 12/22/18.

David Kasley ’49 on 9/28/18.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

73

Kevin Box ’12 deleted his Facebook again because In Memoriam James “Jimmy” Isaacson Knox Baseball Head Coach, 1989–1997 Associate Head Coach, 1998–2012

FILE PHOTO

Longtime baseball coach James R. “Jimmy” Isaacson passed away on Friday, December 21, 2018. A head baseball coach, he led Knox to more than 119 victories in nine years.

When son Jami Isaacson ’92 took over as head coach in 1998, the senior Isaacson served as associate head coach for another 13 seasons before retiring in 2012.

Coach Isaacson was named Midwest Conference Coach of the Year twice and led the Knox baseball team to five conference tournament appearances. His 1997 team won 20 games, a Knox record until 2013, when the team won 22 games. He was also an assistant coach when the 2008 team won the Midwest Conference Championship.

Jimmy coached baseball for 48 years, all in the Galesburg area.

He won 1,172 games while coaching for the Galesburg Post 285 legion program, Carl Sandburg College, the Galesburg Pioneers, and Knox College. Jimmy also co-founded the Galesburg JFL program and served as a board member for 30 years. He coached JFL, YMCA basketball, and the Traveling Streaks. Jimmy served as an associate scout with the Cleveland Indians from 1972–77 and with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2002–10.

He was the Galesburg Jaycees “Community Man of the Year” in 1980.

Both players and colleagues say that his leadership on the field was unmatched. He demanded excellence, but was the first to congratulate players as they walked off the field. Baseball wasn’t just a game to him, it was a way to teach life lessons. His players always knew that he cared for them and in turn they cared for him.

He is survived by wife Pat; children Jodi White of Palm Springs, California, Jami Isaacson of Galesburg, and Amy Crain of Shell Knob, Missouri; sister Beverly Kay of Salem, Oregon; grandchildren Nick Hyman, Jillian Brackett, Peyton Isaacson, Nolan Crain, and Avery Crain; and a great-grandson, Nathan Hyman.

Memorial gifts may be made to Hospice Compassus (www.compassus.com) or the Knox College Jimmy Fund at knox.edu/jimmyfund.

74

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

James Turner ’49 on 12/27/18.

Marilyn Watson Bruch ’50 on 7/10/18.

Vernell Holter ’50 on 11/19/18.

John Jochem ’50 on 11/13/16.

Ben Jones III ’50 on 6/7/16.

Curtis Morling ’50 on 11/11/15.

Joseph Wagner ’50 on 12/16/18.

William Barnum ’51 on 11/3/18.

O. James Owen ’51 on 12/1/18.

Willard Thompson ’51 on 12/24/18.

Walter Verner ’51 on 12/11/18.

Pauline Hansen Cooke ’52 on 12/7/15.

Alfred Elworthy ’52 on 7/21/15.

Cynthia Kenyon Marty ’52 on 10/4/18.

Julie Van Ness ’52 on 1/6/16.

J. Stephen Crawford ’53 on 12/27/18.

Priscilla Dillon Haynes ’53 on 11/3/18.

Oliver Nickels ’53 on 12/21/18.

Shirley Hardin Cann ’54 on 7/4/18.

James Casper ’54 on 11/8/18.

Walter Gutstein ’54 on 10/07/18.

James Johnson ’54 on 12/2/18.

Gloria Olson Larsen ’54 on 4/27/18.

Ivana Tietz Lyttle ’54 on 4/10/17.

Mary Lee Sackett Smith ’54 on 1/26/18.

Norma Jean Yontz Bacho ’55 on 10/24/18.

Robert Heinz Jr. ’55 on 4/24/18.

William Herzog ’55 on 1/30/18.

John Jess ’55 on 1/22/18.

JoAnn Nystrom Reiners ’55 on 10/8/18.

David Bailey ’56 on 8/4/14.

Albert “Bill” Hellwig ’56 on 9/1/18.

Lizbeth Fitzsimmons Jones ’57 on 9/19/18.

Thomas Kmet ’57 on 11/7/14.

Judith Fricke Abplanalp ’59 on 2/8/15.

Eino Latvala ’59 on 8/12/16.

Dennis Neuzil ’59, date not provided.

John Stuckey ’61 in October 2018.

JoAnne Knox Cope ’62 on 12/18/18.

James Kratzer ’63 on 9/7/18.

Peter Di Ciaula ’64 on 12/30/18.

Susan Boyd Kidder ’65 on 7/22/15.

Albert Knight ’65 on 12/9/18.

Bonnie Baird Wilford ’67 on 4/4/19.

Margot Khan Pettijean ’68 on 12/16/18.

Steven Driscoll ’70 on 3/22/16.

Roger Elmer ’70 on 2/20/18.

Thomas Michels ’70 on 5/2/17.

Penelope Patton Tippy ’70 on 12/23/18.

John Gaggini ’71 on 8/6/18.

Michele McMaster ’71 on 9/26/18.

Marilyn Holmes Knapp ’72 on 1/7/19.

Ruth Larner Dritz ’73 in August 2016.

David Myers ’73 on 9/23/17.

Joshua William Hippely ’74 on 1/5/19.

Richard D’Elia ’75 on 11/21/18.

John “Randy” Darby ’79 on 7/10/18.

Patrick Saylor ’81 on 11/29/18.

Donald Turner Jr. ’84 on 11/21/18.

Christopher Heimann ’04 on 4/21/19.

William Hamlet ’06 on 10/2/16.

Carla Lynn Smith ’07 on 10/19/18.

Charles Gómez Albarrán ’19 on 3/20/19.

Deaths of Friends

Edward King, husband of Joy Kerler King ’47, on 8/17/15.

Joan Leeney, wife of James Leeney Jr. ’64, on 8/28/15.

Henry Scobell, father of Summer Scobell DeRuyter ’93, on 9/10/15.

Barbara Bennett, wife of Robert Bennett ’47, on 2/13/16.

Joan Betts, wife of Roger Betts ’58, on 3/10/16.

Elaine Brabec, wife of Donald Brabec ’51, on 4/14/16.

Robert Swanson, husband of Virginia Daniel Swanson ’58, on 6/4/16.

Charles Altmeyer, husband of Doris Sass Altmeyer ’46, on 6/7/16.

Ray Spooner, father of Sophia Spooner ’16, on 8/8/16.

William Brooks, husband of Marilyn Brooks ’72, on 11/8/16.

Robert Moran, father of Nicholas Moran ’13, on 5/15/17.

Philip Grant, husband of Grace McDowall Grant ’43, on 5/17/17.

Tom Cann, husband of Shirley Hardin Cann ’54, on 8/12/17.

Brad Loudenback, husband of Gwyneth Williams ’79, on 4/3/18.

Virginia McClanahan, wife of Thomas McClanahan ’44, on 4/26/18.

Judy Butts, wife of Thomas Butts ’65, on 6/6/18.

Richard Kay, formerly of history, on 7/13/18.

Thom Cole, father of Brian Cole ’16, on 7/22/18.

Gary Mitchell, friend of the College, on 7/23/18.

Sally A. Marquith Benedict, mother-in-law of Karen Benedict, office of the registrar, and grandmother of Laura Swanson, advancement, on 8/13/18.

Joan Polay, mother of Bruce Polay, former professor of music and former conductor of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony, and mother-in-law of Louise Polay, music, on 9/3/18.

Margaret Haywood, sister of Elizabeth Haywood ’88, on 9/13/18.

Carla Boyden, wife of Scott Boyden ’72, on 9/13/18.

Melissa Harding Hummel, sister of K.C. Harding, athletics, on 9/15/18.

Elfriede McGill, mother of Monica McGill, computer science, and mother-in-law of Sheri McGill, admission, on 9/16/18.

Charles Bednar Jr., friend of the College, on 9/18/18.

Mary Shanley, wife of David Shanley ’60, on 9/20/18.

Al Partin, former football and wrestling coach and father of Patricia Partin ’74 and Richard Partin ’75, on 10/17/18.

Bridget Crouch, formerly of dining services, on 10/26/18.

Class Knox he couldn’t stop arguing with strangers.

In Memoriam Robin O. Metz, Philip Sidney Post Professor of English and Co-founder of The Program in Creative Writing The Knox community mourned the death of Robin Metz, who passed away on Tuesday, November 27 at age 76.

The longest-serving member of the Knox faculty, Metz came to Knox in 1967 after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 1964 and a master of fine arts degree from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. An internationally acclaimed poet and author, he was the co-founder, and from 1985 to the present, director of Knox’s renowned Program in Creative Writing.

Holder of the Philip Sidney Post Professorship of English, Metz taught all levels of writing at Knox, from introductory courses in fiction, poetry, and playwriting, through Senior Portfolio, the capstone experience for all writing majors, as well as literature courses, including Modern English/Irish Literature and Contemporary American Fiction. For many years, he also served as the faculty advisor to Catch.

Metz taught every iteration of First-Year Preceptorial and led students “across the pond” for London Arts Alive. He taught how to write about the “natural imagination” in a renovated horse barn 20 miles from campus at Knox’s 700-acre Green Oaks Biological Field Station during numerous Green Oaks Terms and opened his farmhouse in Wisconsin to students during Farm Term. Hemingway, Thomas, Beckett, Sandburg, Tanning, Woolf, and Yeats all came alive through his teaching and travel trips in the U.S. and international locales.

Among numerous awards, Metz won the Maria Rilke International Poetry Prize, Dylan Thomas Poetry Prize, Marshall Frankel American Fiction Prize, Caterpillar Faculty Achievement Award for outstanding creative and scholarly achievement, and Knox’s Philip Green Wright prize for distinguished teaching for both junior and senior faculty.

Metz and his wife, Liz Carlin Metz, Smith V. Brand Distinguished Professor of Theatre, co-founded Vitalist Theatre, a critically acclaimed and award-winning Chicago-based theatre company.

To honor his more than half-century legacy to Knox’s English department, Robin and Elizabeth Carlin Metz established the Robin Metz Endowed Fund in Support of the Creative Arts to support visiting artists at Knox. You can make a gift at knox.edu/metzfund.

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

75

SUBMITTED

Kirstin Carlson, mother of Kassandra Carlson-Dakes ’20, on 10/28/18.

Christine Dixon, mother of Jessie DixonMontgomery, modern languages, on 11/6/18.

Maxine T. Pillsbury, widow of William F. Pillsbury, professor emeritus of economics and business, on 11/10/18.

Virginia Faust Griffith, friend of the College, on 11/22/18.

Ted Thorn, father of Judy Thorn, professor of biology, on 11/24/18.

Robin Metz, Philip Sidney Post Professor of English and co-founder of Knox’s Program in Creative Writing, and husband of Liz CarlinMetz, theatre, on 11/27/18. (See obituary on page 75.)

Clarence Kuster, formerly of biology, husband of Susan Kuster and father of Christopher Kuster ’95, biology, on 11/28/18.

Betty Diehl, mother-in-law of Melody Diehl, business office, on 12/3/18.

William Banfield II, former College employee, on 12/8/18.

Annie Kalghatgi, daughter of Emilie McManus Kalghatgi ’05 and Sahil Kalghatgi ’07 on 12/12/18.

Audrey Shaw, wife of Charles Shaw ’54, on 12/13/18.

James “Jimmy” Isaacson, former baseball coach; father of Jami Isaacson, athletics; and grandfather of Jillian Brackett, advancement, on 12/21/18. (See obituary on page 74.)

Darlene Green, widow of Wayne Green, professor emeritus of physics, and mother of David Green ’81, on 1/5/19.

Robert Meeske, father of Robert Meeske ’94, on 1/6/19.

Judith Anderson, mother of Denise Wetzel, facilities, on 1/11/19.

Dr. Lamont Dirkse, father-in-law of Scott DeWitt, educational studies, on 1/30/19.

Abelardo Arredondo, father of Norma Rodriguez, admission, on 2/23/19.

Ellen Barkenbush, advancement, on 2/14/19.

Letha Reynolds Benner, mother-in-law of Kathleen Ridlon, student development, on 3/7/19.

Donald Moger, husband of Patricia (Trish) Moger, formerly of advancement, on 3/31/19.

Terry Anderson, father of Kristin Wight, student development, on 3/31/19.

Audrey Mae Franklin, mother of Peggy Ware, president’s office, on 4/24/19.

Gary L. Harmon, father of Natalie Schwab, dining services. on 5/24/19.

James Hastings, father of Kevin Hastings ’76, mathematics, on 5/28/19.

Foster Earl Cline, father of Emily Cline, athletics, on 6/19/19.

76

KNOX MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Parting Shot

Sound into Vision For the 2019 Rootabaga Jazz Festival, held April 2–6, elementary and high school students from around Galesburg created more than 2,000 artworks depicting the vibrancy of jazz and its place in the community. The works were on display in the Round Room of the Ford Center for Fine Arts during the festival.

Photo by Brea Cunningham

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Knox College

MAGAZINE Knox College Galesburg, Illinois 61401-4999